IRON INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 306, 19 September 1908, Page 5

IRON INDUSTRY.

BONUS BILL ANE LITHGOW WORKS. HOSKINS'S LOSSES. REPORT BY AN ACTUARY. (ill TKLSbBAPE—PBES3 ASSOCIATION—COPXEUHT.) Sydney, September 18. An aotuary's report on the financial position of the Lithgow ironworks shows that Messrs. Hoskins, tho proprietors, lost £8200 on six months' operations. Ho expresses the opinion that tho industry is not capable of paying an increaso in tho men's wages, tho position rather calling for a decreaso in wages. BILL RESTORED.. Melbourne, September 18. Sir William Lyno, Federal Treasurer, has given notice to restore tho Iron Bonus Bill at the stage reached last session. The Manufactures' Encouragement (Iron Bonus) Bill, as introduced in the Federal Parliament last year, provided for a bonus of 12s. per ton on pig iron and puddled bar iron made from Australian ore, and steel made from Australian pig iron, up to a total of_ ,£250,000. There were also bonuses for wire netting, pipes, reapers and binders, etc. Messrs. Hoskins, declaring that they were working at a loss without'the' promised bonus, asked their employees to accept a reduction of wages, the wages deducted to be refunded if and when the Iron Bonus Bill passes. The employees deolined. Messrs. Hoskins then closed down their works, and the employees obtained permission from tho Industrial Disputes Court to take action against Messrs. Hoskins as for a lockout.