CONCILMTION BOARD.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 187, 2 May 1908, Page 6

CONCILMTION BOARD.

GENERAL LABOURERS' DISPUTE. . The. Conciliation Board sat : yesterday; to' hear evidence in the; meat' workers'. dispute ill'the suburban districts. Mr. ;I\.;J. O'Regan presided, and had with him Messrs. A. Collins and A. H. Cooper (employees' representatives), 'and H. Bedford and H. Innes -representatives);; ; Mr. M. J. Reardou aiinoared-oil behalf of the Union. ' . W. J.- Loddor,' engineer for the Gear Meat Company, said .thatithe intention of.the com- . pany hp.d been ; to refer tlio,. matter to the ■ Arbitration iCoiirt as 'time was/vahiable,'-, and the- case usually had to,' go; to' the Arbitration' Court:' His company applied ■for exemption because ."the;,men did-riot desire'to come .under. the "award; 1 .- as tlicy ■; already. ihad .various- awards, 1 and;.tliey 'also dirl not -cortie uiifler the term " general' labour-: , ers'."' , 'Furthermore, lie understood certain , 'sections ' of "the, 'men. were about .to .fornV a. union of their, own. . CLERGYMEN GENERAL LABOURERS.; •' In roply/t6iMri :Reardbn'the iv'itnoss !took exception 'to the- dcfiintiori "general labourers. '* • - wore; not '• general • lab-. 1 ■ ourers; neither ■ 'fwere-"" fellmongery'; hands. " All',■■ clergymen-' might .-be: termedgeneral ' labourers," '• lid' said; " they, .labour-. in the I vineyard; :•* We -'art'- all; general labourers'. 11 '- I : do .'not':think -"-the ■ Uriion'' i -]ias"'' : auy "right ■ tomake such awidc definition." ;' One result of this was that time'.'a'fter time";; the. scope"' of tlio. definition was extended. Ho further pointed "out that-this. TV'oiild meari the company would be repeatedly appearing. before tho : Board, • and a lot of : time would be wasted. "" '■ '■'•"/ ■'• Edward.Normon, a:Gear Company hand, said' there! had been trouble - at .' the • works, \ arid tho meu' in tho'preserving-and fellmongery -departments had at one time, gone out on strike. The ' same tiling had occurred ..with the skin-dolly hands,- the. men attending on tho pullers' labourers,; the wool-roomilab-ourers',': and- scuddprs." lii " fact, there was' general discontent amongst''tbo. labourers. He denied that the meii .desired to form separate unionsthey' wished to'remain under tlio " General Labourers' " award. 'Mr.-' Reardon-'submitted.thlit the evidence • of' Mr.. Lodder had been very iiori-committal. | He'argued ';that the men'. had: ; becn dissatisfied with tho wages paid.' The liieii liad been, ! approached .by . certain'heads of departments ; to form ..unions, ' but..-had decided, to.cojno under' the General Labourers'"Award. /The pullers, had'an agreement ...of .their own for ,'paym'crit on' piece "wo'rk>,ahd' Jie -.would .be ; agreeable toj allow that: to, be filed.- He was . satisfied to allow tho' portion relating to ;■ 'chataber. hands to be withdrawn,' because tho I Union was ..negotiating "'with ; the employers for an agreement which, would cover, the [■ whole industrial district.. ! . QUARRYMENS' DISPUTE. . "• In the • quarrymens'. dispute evidence was' . taken-to show that the."stone crushing hands ran tlio risk of incurring ill-health, and that tho work was worth Is. Gd. per hour. . : Cliarles '• Lyhes, labourer; formerly, employed' as -a'stone-crusher by tho Wellington municipality, said that , his' lungs had been ■ affefctcd; by tho ,dust• of ; the:' crusher. Dr. ) Cameron had first ■ examined him, and fouild his'lungs in a very bad stated Ho had told witness if'ho Valued his life to givo vp the work,' .Witness had becii ordered to-the'coll-' 1 sumptivo iauatorium; "and was told there • that his lungs' were badly lacerated with the 2 'dust. Hojiad remained at the .sanatorium seventeen weeks, and was' warned when: lio left hot to, go near .tho crusher, again if. he valued his lifo. : : Ho ha,d never been ill, before.. ' Ho did. not think it would, be^possiblo 1 to/a,void i ,'tlip;.'dust beiiig,.'taken'- into-.the- sys- > torn with tho class of crusher in use, . "It 9 clogs your nostrils and your ears also," he said. ' " It. is .as'fine as flour."-' f 3 Mr. Reardon said he was satisfied this evidence established his;, contention regard--0 ing tho crusher.,' y > The Board then; wont into; committee to " consider its decisions, which will bo filed to--0 day. ■'•';- : v '■