ARBITRATION COURT.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11590, 22 May 1903, Page 2

ARBITRATION COURT.

FLOURMILLERS* DISPUTE. The Arbitration Court resumed its hearing of the Flourmillerp' dispute yesterday. Present —Mr Justice Cooper (preKiding) and Messrs P*. Slater and S. Brown. Hiti Honour etated that the Court would make known ita decision after hearing evidence in tiie ..jjllers , dispute, at Dunedin. FELL-MONGERS , DISPUTE. The fellmongers' dispute was token next. Messrs E. Cameron, Vt. K. Woodham, and William Currie appeared for tho Union, and Messrs W. Bowron, -Gilbert. Anderson, N. L. Macbeth. Waiter Hili, W. Nicholls, and S. A. Sprange for the employers. Mr Currie, for -~-o Union, pointed out that iv August, 1901, an award w«s given which applied to those who combined the business of tosmers and fellniongem, but only referred to fellmongers pure and simple in one paragraph. He aske d that ' the clauses in this award iixin? tho price of unskilled labour in regard to men over 21 yeans of aije at (in uour, and relating to the employment of voutha, should be made to apply to tho fellinongers also. He would leave it to tho Court to decide whether the amount in the former case should exceed 10£ dan hour. Reports were put iv purporting to show that the price of wool in the London -market had increased 60 per cent, since the former award was made. Mr W. Bowron urged that tho increase had not, benefited the fcllmongera w much as might appear. Numbers of unskilled workers also were utterly incompetent to earn the rate of wages demanded. He asked that tho whole matter should b© deferred until the expiration of the present tanners' and fellmongers' award, in August next.

His Honour stated that in regard to the incapable workmen referred to, the employers would have the safeguard of a coinpet'encv clause. Mr Bowron asked that at least the Court should exempt from any award made the "paddock-hands," or casual workers, who were merely employed to spread the wool out in the paddocks to dry. Hte Honour said that there were two courses open The Court could either deal with the question of unskilled labour now, postponing consideration of other classes, or the whole dispute could L>e deferred until the expiration of the presant award, and then ba gone into exhaustively. After «ome discussion, his Honour offered a third suggestion, that the Court should sit in connection with the whole circumstances of tho trade in September next, and make an award for next season. In the meantime, he proposed that tho two clauses before referred to with regard to unskilled labour and youths' labour, should be extended to the case of the fellmongers. The objections raised by Mr Bowron could be met by a provision thiit men employed in pitfling out and drying wool should receive not less than 7|d per hour. The last • course was agreed to by both parties, on the understanding!; that the settlement will not prejudice either side, when the entire case is heard in September next. The Court then adjourned until 10.30 to-morrow, when several awards will be given.