ARBITRATION COURT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 842, 14 June 1910, Page 6

ARBITRATION COURT.

WHARF LABOURERS' AWARD. The Arbitration Court opened its Wellington sittings yesterday morning. Mr. Justice Sim presided, and with him sat Mr. W. Scott (employers'! representative) aud Mr. J. A. M'Cullough (workers' representative). The Wellington Harbour Board (Mr. C. H. Izard) applied for an interpretation of certain words in the AVellington Wharf Labourers' Award. The award, in dethe weight, that' may be carried on a hand-truck, uses the words "as nearly as practicable," and ■ these are the words of which an interpretation is sought. Mr. A. A. S. Menteath, who appeared for tho Wellington Wharf Labourers' Union, claimed that the point had already been decided by the magistrate in an action for breach of award, and the magistrate had decided that tho board was at fault and had inflicted a small fine. In a previous case concerning tho Bakers' Award, the Arbitration Court had hold that tho application should he by way of appeal to tho Arbitration Court from tho decision of tho magistrate, and counsel submitted that that was the courso that should havo been taken in tho present case. Mr. Izard said that, as the fine was a merely nominal one, the board had no right "of appeal under Section 153. The present application was made under Section 97. It was necessary to bring evidence as to custom, and this could not be done, except by the bourse he was taking. The President said the Court had jurisdiction under Section 97, but it was tho first application of the kind, and they thought it was not desirable to entertain it. The proper course for the board to take in this case was to get tho inspector to bring a caso in that Court. The application was dismissed. The Court adjourned at 5 p.m. Seven compensation cases will ho taken at 10 o'clock this morning.