ARBITRATION COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 82, 7 April 1913, Page 7

ARBITRATION COURT.

XO-DArs PROCEEDINGS. MISCELLANEOUS CASES. The Arbitration Court resumed its sitprefidS a - V ' ! " S HOI,Or Mn JUStiCe Sim A COMPREHENSIVE AWARD. On belialf of the' Auckland Qm Employees' Union, Mr. A. Rosser applied to have meter waterers and burner inspectors included in the working conditions of-the award. The award, said Mr Koßser, covered all the employees, but when the application was before the Conciliation Council in December last the employers refused to consider it unless ordered to do so t>y the Court Mr. C. Grosvenor, for the Auckland Oas Company, said that the company could not ask his Honor to reduce the award, but -wished to emphatically protest against such a comprehensive award. At his Honor's suggestion it was decided that the parties hold a conference and report to the Court on Friday at 10 a.m. A NIGHT OFF WANTED. The Hairdressers' Assistants' dispute, explained Mr. A. Rosser (for the Union) had been partly settled before the Conciliation Commissioner. What was now wanted was six o'clock closing on one night of the week. The hours in the South were the same as they were here, but one night in the week the shops closed at 0 p.m. With regard to wages, the employees would lake the same wages as the employers in the South were paying, and he understood the employers would pay them if they -were forced to. The Union suggested that the Dunedin award be taken as the 'basis, that being the Latest award.

Appearing on behalf of the employers, Mr. Grosvenor contended that the' circumstances in Auckland and Dunedin were quite different. In Auckland a very large majority of the hairdressers had only one assistant, and others none at all.

His Honor: If they have no assistants they arc not employers.

Mr. Grosvenor replied -that it was feared that such hairdressers would make great inroads into the trade. His Honor recommended that a conference be held, and the parties acquiesced, the understanding being that they report on Wednesday at 10 o'clock. AX APPLICATION WITHDRAWN. Mr. Rosser, acting on behalf of the Auckland Bookbinders. Paper Rulers, and Cutters' Union, applied for an award on the terms of the agreement arrived at by.the Conciliation Council. That agreement, said Mr. Rosser, provided for an increase of 2/6 a week, to come into force on January 2nd, but this increase had not been paid. Mr. Grosvenor, for the employers, explained that it had -been discovered that an important clause providing that employers pay only for time actually served had been omitted from the agreement.

■Mr. Rosser applied for permission to withdraw the application, and the case was thereupon struck out. INCREASE IN WAGES WANTED. On "behalf of the Auckland Painters' Union, Mr. Horning applied for an increase in wages under the award from 1/3 to 1/44 an. hour, and that the term of the award bo two years. The increase, he said, had been granted in Dunedin and Southland. He would call no evidence.

■Mr. Grosvenor opposed the application on the ground that conditions had not altered since the last award came into force. As regards Dunedin, the climatic conditions were such that the average wage there was probaWy less than the average wage here. •iir. Horning quoted statistics to shew that the rainfall in the South [eland was 45 inches last year, as against 51 inches in the North. * Rain tell on 155 days in the South, and on 162 days in the Xorth. The average for Dunedin for the last 5S years was 37 indies as against 43 inches in Auckland for the last 54 years. (Daughter.) The Court reserved its decision.