ARBITRATION COURT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 510, 18 May 1909, Page 8

ARBITRATION COURT.

.SOME. qUKRJSNT NOTIONSREVIEWED. : I',.'-;;.-'. {BT;,*EtaGB4PH—PttESS.ASSOCIATION.) , ;'.'■ '. ' ■'"■■•/■■■■•■■'■■ ; : ;;. :'■•/ ■'.'!; .Clsborno, May. l7.r ; ■ •'■■■■ The- Arbitration Court, :-intho; painters! ■ dispute,' made an; award in' substance .the : . samo as; the. previous, one. , .• ■v. :- : ' |: . : \ln an ; attached memorandum, the Court : that, tho-evidence ,: went to ■'show that thoj'cost : of-a number of tho neces- ~ saries'.of 'lit'e was actually, less ..than in - l'JOui ,; l<'rom, j'what ; ,'was said by:'a-■repre-sentative'!6f, the.union, at thei .hearing;>ho . .appeared to. ihihk -that, because,:the. term. '; fixed; by the-last award ; had \ expired; .it ■'; waSj tho : iduty;of de union to iapply for a newi'award.-: : "It is; quite-.a mistake," continued the' memorandum,.-"to T suppose- ' ; ihatut,.is,;'a l function .of the ,Court to go on s endlessly 'revising • ! tho ■ 'conditions'.'.of. a particular industry. ;Whoro ':'. an industrylhas beon before the;Court;,two '; or three' times,'- and/its .conditions investigated,.;the last 1 ."awards-'should-.bo treated . 'as finally, settling thesp conditions,; and any alteration can- '-only I '-be ,'made' on'-.:clear, ide.fi;nito,..'prqof, th_at 'thero has; been' a- change ; . in the circumstances shico.rtho-.award was made'; : t-.Much 'expense''arid■ disappointmisnt < will be avqideiL if .oxecutiyos ; of ■ unions will pb'udor"what!wo have, said, ,and if, before oi-jginating ,a .'dispute,':'.-..they, -will ascertain tHat'there;, is.somb definite.and reasonable .'.' ground for .asking . for. an - alteration, and will , recognise that .without ''..' some : . such, ground it is . useless :. to ' ask 'for anyalteration. It. is idle to ask, as many unions do, for an increase in: wages ;fixed: by an ■existing;awardj-vand; to. have nothingvbttter ito olr'er/.in.supnort, ofjtho application.than. ' a 'humbor of workOTs..who. j : are , prepared, to fsay "that, in'their, opinion, .' the;».wagea : . asked for • are • reasonable. .•;',-'To rely on .evidence of that'.kind:-!is.[to confess ,that tjie.union has, : bjMri-unab]p'.',toJfind;any- : thing'ari.'.tho 'shapofodf./fact .;or ; ...argument ,'; .to, suppprt,its : casp. ! '-v} ! j;t-.; ; 'i'i- !: ;■'■,;•■:,; ■■'..■■• ■'• ■,■< The'..awardynitl)e"_b'aljersf:jdispute.: reduces > •the , hours ■to 43; ; p.'er ojreokiiiTlje- ; wages will .bo;. : the .'samo, as.'.thos? 'fixed: Vby: the 'last award.V ■'.'■■■", ':i' :^\,'-'^'{^^'{-'-''': '-'}'[/' : ; :