AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Press, Volume XLIII, Issue 6369, 17 February 1886, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

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[Per as. Botomahana at the Bluff/]

MELBOURNE, February 9.

The Board of Arbitrators dealing with the dispute between the ship-owners and the Wharf Laborers' Union are receiving evidence tendered by employers in justification of their refusal to pay the laborers an increased rate of wages. Mr Siddily pointed out|that in the case of the A.S.N. Company the average earnings of thirty

[ men for forty-six dajs were 93 61 for eight! 'and three-quarter:houra' labor. Attention! was also directed to'the fact that ship- j owners were subjected to each keens competition that the; * could not possibly raise the rates of freight for either cargo or passengers, and consequently they could not increase the men's wages without subjecting themeelvee to serious loss. The Board has been sitting with closed dooiß, deliberating on the evidence whioh has been submitted to them until nearly four o'clock this morning. The decision come to with regard to coal laborers is that an increase, should be given:for handling small baskets, but to equalise the matter the Board decided to reduce the amount paid 1 for large baskets. Tee terms of the report are briefly these:—Eight hours to be considered a . day's .work from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., two hours being allowed for meals; that for general cargo each .of the first four hours day work in any week is to be paid for at the rate of Is 3d per hour, after that Is Id; all overtime to be paid for at the rate of Is 6d per hour; that except when work on general cargo is suspended from accident or bad weather, any labourer engaged during the three first working hours should not be paid for less than two hours; if engaged during the latter portion of the day, not less than one hour. : A terrible explosion occurred at the Ice Works, Ballaxat, yesterday morning, by which two persons lost their lives, and the whole of the buildings were completely wrecked. Thomas Jenkins, proprietor, has been seriously injured. It Iβ considered doubtful whether he will recover. The ice-making machine was one of Vaae and Lettman's, known as a direct heating, and the refrigerating being done by means of ammoniacal gas.