BOOT TRADE. AWARD FOR MEN WORKERS. AN "INCOMPREHENSIBLE" DEMAND.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 144, 19 June 1909, Page 6

BOOT TRADE. AWARD FOR MEN WORKERS. AN "INCOMPREHENSIBLE" DEMAND.

The award in oonnactaon with tho federated boot trade dispute filed in Christchurch to-day, provides that olauses dealing with prcierence of employment, departments, machinery, and ooutrol' of j iactoi-y aro tho same as an the existing ' award, except that instead of a committee ' boing set up to deal with applications to work at home, thij matter is left to tho! Inspector of Factories. I The memorandum of the court nttached to the award notes the fact that this die- i pute was referred to tho court after an j alemp had beon mado, but without success, by tho CouncD of Conciliation to settle it. Tho employers asked that thera should bo three grades of workers as follows: —Firat grade to include outside clickers, makers, finishers, out-eolo cutters, and machino operators, with a minimum of Is Oid per hour. Second | grade to include rough stuff cutters, and , all others not mentioned in first grade, not boing lining cutters, with a minimum I of Hid per hour. Thind grade to in- , elude lining cutters, with a minimum of ! 10id per hour. Tho union, on tho other hand, asked for two graciea only: the firsfc grade to be the earns as that proposed by tho employers, with a minimum of In 2d per hour, tho second grexle to include lining-cutters, with a minimum of Is Id per hour. The court made only two grades of workers, and inoluded tho lining cuttera in tho »uconu grado. The minimum wago for the first grade has been fixed at Is Oid por hour, and for the tecond at la per hour The principal ground on which the union based its claim for an increase in wages was that there had been an increase since 1905 in the duly 'on imported boots. Tho parties were not agreed as to the amount of tho inoreasod duty. Mr Froetick asserted that the duty on the importations in 1905 was 24.69 per cent., and in 1907 was 25.52 per cent., giving a difference of only 0.83 per cent. A report made up 'by Mr. Leslie, an. actuary, was submitted to Mr. Frostick, and pat in after the hearing had closed. Taking tho year 19U3, and comparing iho duty paid then with ihe old tariii" of 22i per cent., which was in force before 1904, Mr. Leslie found an inorease of 8 per cent, on men's boots, nearly 9 per cent, on womeu'a boots, and 8J per cent, on boys' and girls' boots. It waa. also proved that there had beon a considerablo decrease in the number of boots imjjorted since the increased duty had beon imposed. Taking this into consideration, and assuming Mr. Leslie's figures to be correct, tho Court found it difficult to see that theso figures, of themselves, justified tho increase asked for by tho Union. The Court held that it waa reasonable to( conolude from the figures that "the boot manufacturing trade is in a bettor condition now than it was bo- j foro, but they are no guide as to the extent to which the profits of manufacturers have increased by reason of tho change. Before the benefits derived from the increased auty can bo apportioned between the manufacturers and their ■workers —if it bo the function of the Court to apportion them —it is necessary to know wnat these benefits aro. The Court cannot very well divide a fund before tho amount thereof is known, even approximately. On that subject the Court waa without information of any kind, and tho increase' granted by the present award is based principally on the oiler made by the employers." Great reliance was placed by the union on tho reasons given for an award, made by the Arbitration Court in New South Wales m connection with the engineering trade in 1908. The wages of the men were increased, and this was done, it was stated, on the basis of an increased duty of 7| per cent. Four per cent, of this v/as treated as belonging to the employers, and aboui 2 2-<srd per cent, was given to tho men. If tho duty collected were- paid to tho employers, it would bo easy to understand tho reason for dealing with the matter in thia way. But tho duty doos not go into the pockets of the employers, and . the employers derive only an indirect benefit from an increased duty. That benefit may bo large or small, according to circumstances, and tliero ia certainly nothing in the present ease to justify the court in concluding that this benefit bears any proportion to tho amount of tho increased duly. With regard to overtime, the court has repeated tho provision contained in the last award, which was agreed on by tho parties themselveß. This, in effoct, makes 4-7 hours tho hours of work at ordinary rates in any way. Tho uuiou asked lo havo the hours reduced to 45 per week. "It( seems quito incomprehensible that workers who are paid by tho hour, and who complain that they are not earning enough, should desire to have their hours of work roducd,_ with the certainty that, in ordinary circumstances, their earnings also will be reduced. Tho favourito demand of unions whose members aro working at a weekly wage, for increased wages and reduced hours is, at any rate, intelligible — they want more money for loss work: but the demand in the present case is quite incomprehensible. So far from the hours of work boing further reduced, they should bo restored to forty-eight, as fixed originally by this court, so as lo enable workers to increase their earnings. It may bo desirable to point out that the boot trade has been before the court on I five previous occasions, viz., in 1896, 1898, 1901, 1903, and 1905. On the last occasion all tho terms of tho award (Book of Awards vol. VI., p. 390) wero agreed on by tho partipß lhoiu.-clveß."

Twenty men who liad worked out on the lonic as stewards, were paid oft yesterday at the shipping office. A cinematograph picture of the sculling race is to be taken by the Tourist Department, states o, Press.Association telegram.

It is probable that during next week the Government will find work for 200 men at Rangitatau, and a considerable number on road and railway work. Details have not yet been perfected. The annual dinner of the Wellington Poultry, Pigeon, and Canary Association was held in the Victoria Hall last night. > Mr. D. Murphy, chairman of the committee, presided. The toast- of 'The Visitors" was proposed by Mr. Littlcjohn. Mr. Wilkinson (Christchurch) proposed the toast of t 'The Wellington Association," and the chairman replied. Amongst tho other toasts were — "The Judges," propose! by Mr. Currie, and ficknowledged by Messrs Casey, Doi~, and Thompson ; "Unsuccessful Exhibitors," proposed by Mr. Holland ; am 1 "Specialist Clubs," proposed by Mr. Casey, and replied to by Messrs. Currio and Grenside. During the evening a presentation was made to the chairman. Mrs. Foley was at the piano. In regard to shop hours, the annual report of tho Wellington Employers' Association states that the fixing of closing hours, of shops in the various trade t , by requisition is being taken advantage of by a number of shopkeepers. The results are not ronsidered satisfactory by some of the traders affected. Opiii' ion has been expressed that tho law requires amendment in the direction of securing uniform closing of all shop? | in one trade, as is provided by law in j several Australian States, and as was intended by the New Zealand Shcps j and Offices 'Act, 1904. This matter will j | probably be brought up for considers- j , tion by the association during ttrk year. ' The annual demonstration of the Navy ', League, to be held on Thursday week, is receiving enthusiastic support from Oapj tain Blnnt, R.N., and the officere and men of H.M.S. Pioneer. In addition to J a display of cutlass drill by a 9qnad of I bluejackets, Staff-Surgeon Murphy, R.N., is to give an exhibition of sleightr of-hand tricks, and there is to bo a j hornpipe by two of the bluejackets. , The Wellington Physical Training School ; is down for two it-ems — fllnrninated clnb | swinging by the girls, and parallel bar ' display by tho boys. There are. four \ massed choruses for tho juvenile choir. Puring the evening Captain Blunt will I present tho Ladies' Challenge Shield to • the starboard watch of the Amokura, ' tho winners of a recent competition in 1 running out and weighing a kedge anI chor. Captain Blunt is to be asked to make a few remarks regarding the obiects of tho league and the training of boys for the sea. There are three of ■ the Amolcura lads afc present on board tho Pioneer. * The various hotelkeepers at Masterton ' are making preparations to quit their respective premises, and in three instan- , ces the furniture is being offered for' 1 sale by public auction, telegraphs our | correspondent. When these handsome and commodious hotel premises are , closed, it will give a somewhat dead ! appearance to tho main business street of Masterton, as they are situated in ! central positions. Present indications 1 are that the Club Hotel is tho only one ' that will continue open as a private 1 hotel. I At the conclusion of the performance , by the California^ Boys at the Town ' Hall last evening, Mrs. Williams pre- * 1 sented the visitors with a Union Jack. On Wednesday next, the first anniversary of the inauguration of the Welling- j ton Methodist Council 'for Church. Ex- ; tension will be celebrated. There will i be a great meeting, preceded by tea, in 1 Wesley Hall. Tho report of church ex- ! tension work will be presented, and adI dresses will be given by ministers and laymen. Music will be provided by combined choirs. The retirement of tho Hon. A. W. Hogg from, the Cabinet has been freelydiscussed, telegraphs our* Maslcrton i correspondent ; and general regret is | expressed at the circumstances that led i up to it. A petition was in circulation here to-day, requssting Mr. Hogg to I resign his seat, but it v/as not numero usly signed. Electj.-s prefer to wait until they have heard what Mr. Hogg has to say on the subject, and his promised address to his constituents is eagerly looked forward to. Messrs. Harcourt and Co. will sell by public auction on 13th July, at their looms, 195, Lambtoa-quay, at 2.30 p.m., a farm of bSO acres, in tho Otaki district. Messrs. T. Kennedy Macdonald ; Lim ited, advertise the salo by auction byorder of -tho Registrar of the Supremo Coiyt, on tho 21st July, of a six-roomed residence, and section, 45 x 150 feet, situate Alicetowm, Hutt. The firm also insort a new list of residences and sections for private sale; also houses, shops, and sample rooms to let. The ladies' auxiliary of the V.M.C.A. are organising a "great winter carnival," to be held at tho V.M.C.A. Buildings on Wednesday and Thursday, 30th June and j Ist July. Preparations on an elaborate scale aro being made. The ferry steamers will run excursions to Day's Bay, Seatoun^ and -Karajia Bay on Sunday morning and afternoon, at tho usual hours. The full time-table appears in another column. Tho Woljington Savage Club will hold a kororo to-night. v Messrs. Ward'ell Bros., Willis-street, advertise a special list of confectionery at reduced prices. The Wholesale Woollen Company, Wil-lis-street, advertise ladies' costumes, and gentlemen's i suit 3, nt special rates. • All gannonos aro mado under tho supervision of Mr. Bedford. A meeting of Northland residents is to bo held as advortisod to consider tho question of special rates. Mrs. Morrison, of Melbourne, has just arrived from Christchurch, and will commence a season as speaker at tho New Century Hall to-morrow evening. A meeting of tho Roseneath and Oriental Bay Ratepayers' Associations will be held in the Roseneath Schoolroom on Monday night to discuss various matters, including tiie question of high pressure wator supply, threo planting, recreation ground, etc. Tho Vavi 6ystem_ of home treatment will bo explained in talks to be given ' on the afternoons of Monday and Thursday next as advertised. Mombers of tho orchestra which is t» porform ad tho concert to be tendered to Mr. Alfred Hill are reminded of tho meeting to take place- at tho Dresden ut 2.30 to-morrow. This week's Weekly Graphic is splendidly illustrated, and altogether a most interesting number. Special prominence is given, to tho new Publio Trust office, its Mouudera, , and original staff, present staff,, and, opening functions, otc., etc.