GENERAL LABOURERS' DISPUTE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 178, 23 April 1908, Page 8

GENERAL LABOURERS' DISPUTE.

CONCILIATION BOARD IN MASTERTON. (by telegraph.—special correspondent). Mastcrton, April 22. The Conciliation Board sat in Mastcrton to-day to hear the claims of tho Labourers' Union. A hill Board sat, the Union being represented by Mr. M. J. Reardon, secretary of tho Wellington Union. ... Mr. W. T. Eastfhope, secretary of the Wairarapa Employers' Association,, announced tho intention of tli'c • employers resolved upon at the recent conference not to bo represented, as they wished tho Arbitration. Court to deal with the matter. ' Tho Board then called tho witnesses summoned- by subpoena. J. M. Coradine, Mayor of, Mastert-on, builder, was the first witness called. Ho stated that tho hours worked oil the borough staff were. 46 per week, wages being from Bs. to 10s. per day. Permanent hands were paid by tho week, and the rest for work done. No tunnel work was done. Permanent hands were paid for holidays. , Weekly payments were not convenient for the B.orough Council at present. No concession was allowed employees for mileage when the work was distant from town. The building award had been extended by private employers to labourers working on buildings. As far as possible, the borough found tools for the workmen. Regarding the preference' clause; witness did not think tho clause practicable in Mastcrton, because the . workers were not organised. 1 ' Examined by Mr. Reardon, witness said tho men's wages last winter averaged from 255. to 30s. per week, last winter being a very bad winter. He did not think the men could livo on from 2os. to 30s. per week. Boroughs objected to the payment of weekly wages as an extra expense. . He did not think tho suburban- clause would apply much to tho borough. Witness had no experience of th<S strength of the local Union. The is reason witness had, said tho workers were f. not organised was because: his 'firm weie large employers of labour, and no applications ) wore received as being from Union men. The e firm did not differentiate between unionists i- and non-unionists,' and. had. no objection to d tho ac'commodation: clause, nor to tho overs timo clause, because they did not encourage BE overtime privately, and the borough did not a havo much overtime. Witnoss regarded the d stone-crushor as detrimental to tho health i, of men employed on it. No extra pay was, e howover, jnado for that reason. ' : s- A. Haughey, plasterer, • said he employed !- from four to'five hands. Tho men worked 0 forty-seven hours, per week, the wage being j ,Is. per hour.' He' had no objection to offer--1 to the claims. Witness did not'have much . overtimo, and-gave the holidays now: asked. , On country jobs, is. per day moro was paid, i and witness had paid the men's fares by train . when tho contracts, were out of town. Ho did; not object to preforenco,. but did not see r liotv it could operate successfully'with'a sliifti ing population, such as the'labourers were. By Mr. Reardon—The cost of living had ! gone. up of lata. He believed tho time had t arrived wlien wages should'go up in the same , ratio. - /■' 7; .■„ V ~ ■' j Martin Korins, road contractor, said 48' . hours was the time, per week worked by his. , .men. Eight to ton shillings per day was paid . by him, nine shillings being tlie general "rate , of pay by. the hour. 'The only, clause wit- \ ness'objected to was the preference clause, v being of opinion that employers should have .; unrestricted choice. t By Mr. Reardon—He ga.ve hammer and ( drill men Is.. extra per 'day. l ' James .Carmody, contractor, did not beHeve ' in preference. lie allowed his option of holidays. Working in wet places ; was : not .paid for. extra.'. V T. Moss, farmer, and member of the Eke- ! tahuria: County Council, said the Council paiil Bs. to 9s. according to the nature of the work for wet or dry weather;. An allowance £2 per year for tools was made. Casual men received'tho same rate as permanent, •• but the former found :thoir' 'own tools. Regarding tho-claims;.'he . thought conditions, ' "wore difforent in the large districts. He .preferred- that' tho Council' should look- after its own men.. The Board or Court could deal with the towns. The Council had a good class,6f mon in its employ, and it was irritating to be involved in a dispute in which thoy : were not really concerned. He was in favour of preference, but. npt/compulsory preference. He had been a unionist since ho was twenty (as a carpenter), and had always thought it preferable to'have voluntary preference. By Mr. Reardon —He -had never employed labour affected by tlie :Board. His only ex.poriejice of what tho: Board was doing was gained through reading the newspapers. Witness admitted'.that he was'the mover of the resolution .passed at tho conference, of local body representatives that tho. Board acted injuriously to the. best'interests of tilt country.'. Farmers had, not so fir been affected by tho Board. . H. Drake, labourer, .previously in- the Government ballast pit, said he had; received wages: frorii Is. lsd. per hour, paid by the Borpugh - Council, to 7s. per day paid bj privato employers. AYit'ness.siaid it wi»s difficult to make ends' meet.on the present wages. Last-winter he: had "averaged' 295. to 30$, per::week.\ Boots, and clothing was ,an expensive itom on' account of'the wear arid tear. No overtime was'paid.'. Witness had occasionally' to bo travelling throes hours-sper day in his .own time -to : and job :in-the Government ballast pit. ■ The pay was 7s. per day, and if a workman was' a quarter of an'hour late, ho: ;was''dbckpd'for-..it. The claims-as framed by .the union-were, in his opinion, very reasonable. - Witness had never been paid for holidays, nor ;had he; received an increased rate for overtimo. It was three years ago sirico, ho had received 7s. per day from the Government in, the ballast nit. Ho could not | say what was being ' pafd there now. . ; ■ ' -James -Kennedy,V scaffolder, ' said scaffoldcrs as a rule received 3d'.'per hour more than; general labourers. - / "The reason the Union asked more for concrete work .was .becauso it , >vas harder arid wore out moro clothes. ! ; . ; .... Thomas - Gaclsbv, of Taueni, contractor, constated that more than ail ordinary shpuld bo paid for blasting work, and 5c was uv favour of preference to unionists. By .Mr. Reardon—He was' satisfied .that .the time had; arrived- when • the of labourers should be increased. . ° ?| r ' J- S. M'Lean, -a borough labourer, said that m tho'last twelve'months he had lost a day a- week on an'average through wet woather. - David Knowles, labourer employed by the Borough Coujicil, considered that' extra pay should be-given to asphalters'• and men on stone-crushers.- The former', work was very severe on clothes, and the'latter injurious to health. Kerbiiig and channelling required certain , skill, and should be better paid for than general work. The majority of 'unionists in' Masterton and other witnesses gave similar evidence. The Board has adjourned to Napier.