ARBITRATION COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 70, 21 March 1908, Page 7

ARBITRATION COURT.

lffi3£EF-LABOUELEBS' DISPUTE. ' PX Telegr»l*-—Press Association-V WELLINGTON". Friday. I jjjg Court to-day conelud«r the hearing of the wharf-labourers* jLate. Mr. J- T. Kirkby, in opening Incase for the Union Steam Ship ComIjt, urged that tie men's union had ]^made C out any case ior fne employers ~T answer. Of 2S clauses in the old no less than 21 were amended, d they omitted sis altogether, putting fl ew ones in. The Union Company snuiiv asked for two amendments in the J," award one in connection with -agjs in handling cargo, and the other Tfiiii respect to oatposc work. Iα regard +o the former, if the increases asked for mm 1/4 and l ' 6 to 2/1 and 2/5) were maated, it would mean an increase to the fanpaiiy of about 17 per cent, or about ■sjpQl "per 7 ear - total difference 2at would 'be made to the company would be something over £7000. jjie granting oi the Saturday hali-holi-fcj would be a serious thing, while if ijc averase of 200 men employed were tv be paid overtime, and the work had jo be done, it would mean another £ 1000 or £1500 a year. If the men working in tie stream had to be paid trom the time of leaving their place of engagement •nil they returned to the ■wharf, it would cost an additional £ 97-5 per year. .Mr. Pryor, for the intercolonial and fereisn-gomg vessels, gave evidence to saow" that there had been no general increase in the price of foodstuff during the list five years, also that the demands generally were unreasonable and unyorkabie. slr. Nicloils. on behalf of the Wellington Haxbonr Board, said he had agreed to tie men's demands with reference to tie hours of labour and -wages, with OM exception. He objected to a differential rate for working cargo, and also tiie payment of wages from the actual time of engagement, and the increase jn the number of holidays. It would be impossible for the Board to comply mih the conditions asked for in regard to the payment of wages. The Court reserved : ts decision.