AN OLD TROUBLE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 148, 17 March 1908, Page 4

AN OLD TROUBLE.

1 ENGAGING WHARF LABOUR. It is an- accepted principle; at • the. port''of Wellington that ;thera inust :be>some/ definite place , for.-..engaging wharf ' labour,:; but;tho carrying-out; of. this principle 1 has. been,-at- 1 toiidcd with a good;,deal" ot difficulty. V This was; illustrated' yesterday /.'when the Arbitration,.Courtiwas engaged in' ing. two applications 'for .enforcement,of;,-tho' \Vnnrf Labourers' award.,■ Mr. -Le'.Cren, Inspector of ? ; Awards, , appeared - , for- the,:De.partment ;of Labour in.^ach^case.. : ." The.; Huddo.r.t-Parker/,Stcamship: : Company was. charged with ; engaging labour at; other .than• the place named in the award. $ C.' Wadiley','. stevedore,!'|-i?as!similarly! charged., , Mr. C.. W. : Jones, minn'ger for : tho 'company, "submitted that .tho labour , was engaged by,. Charles !!^'adley j( ;stevedore, .who', worked for the,company;Wly.one .day..and.a.half in tho. week, an'd.-had ; . particular instructions, to observe.tho award. He,; led the pvidcncei of C. -Wadley'to support; this, contention. .' and asked that, theVbrcach be recorded,' - ' 'if ,at all,' ■ agajitst Ridley, and;,-no.fc,, against;,, the •compa»yli^tai^"''ac^ie^,\.jn.-,ttiiß; ! | LBnggestion. . V ilk the courso of his i pidence t<ifWadlos\-poni-pjained, of tho difficulties that besot, him in :'engaging-'labour;.There';, were.-men; in ; : the ' .waiting-rooms . who/, prcferred.' to stayjthero ■ an'd-jlav'cards When they heard what the' class' oFwork;was they refused 'to' take,' it-on!,]: ' Mr. D. JPLaren,. acCTeta^ ? pf : ;ttie ! 'sfdllM!ton'.'Wharf Labourers''! .Union;. indignantly repelled tho .aspersion . on'.'tha ,workers. ! Ho stated' that 1 the Harboiir Board had, absolutely prohibited,'gambling!;in' the room,' arid' thio, prohibition, waseffepliv6.''!; -. Wadley was fined l £2, and ordered' tb pay the inspector's disbursements.,and tho .costs .of tho Court. ;'. , "V 't

The charge' against '' the. : Huddart^Parker. Company 1 was withdrawn at the suggestion' of the .Courts ' '•'•'/< ••. ■' :In reply s to the Court',.'Mr. M'Laren'statcd thatthei'demands;'; which the Union had sub-/ mitted/tothoi.employers,,'embraced :a; Clause under- which 1 it! was' hiped'th&t a- place for the. engagement' /of labour, would-be.' agreed upon to; the 'of; all; parties.'■ Gannaway and .Co.' were proceeded l 'against for engaging tfhnrf 'labour'elsewhere' than, in; the waiting-room. •' Mr. ■ Thompson,''of - the' , respondent firm, said that the room was not.a. suitable place for tho purpose.V. It : .| was' crowded with men who were not : /seeking t employment."::: Great difficulty was' experienced' in' finding foremen who would or could 1 carty!-out' tho award in this matter, : and he . accordingly ; engaged tho labour himself. L.There were, or; used to be, sd many! undesirables 1 ini tho.- room-'that ; when one engaged men there, 'one had no certainty of the men turning, up ; at the. ship., ..Tho ■iat'mospheri of; the: roomi'-'was ;so ' thick, : that ho, though .a';heavy"s'moker, could not'.'stand, it. , In the.'case before: tho Court) ho' mot, two'men'outside the room,; took them! there and engaged : them,and j then. went, downstairs again with, them,/; where Hhey.' signed on. I \ ' Mr. ■M'Laron'.was'not, ! in>tho;,Court when this, cise' : was heard.',. ~ * -s-i'V ' The Court held that the case was, not one for * penalty; as the respondent_ appeared to hare'done'his .best .to.i bhserv.e. th'b. award.'A breach ir*s. recorded,' respondent to . pay costs. '•' .y- -|~.y,v- r | r~ /., -