WORK AND WAGES.

Evening Star, Issue 11251, 26 May 1900, Page 3

WORK AND WAGES.

At the Auckland Arbitration Court yesterday an application by the Curriers’ Union to enforce un industrial agreement entered into by the union and Messrs Ireland Bros, on February 26 was gone into. Mr Georgu Tarbutt represented Missrs Ireland Bros., and Mr James Regan oinducted the case for the union. Mr Regan alleged that the firm worked apprentices fifty-one hours instead of forty-eight hour?, ami thatnhey did not pay: wages to apprentices according to clause 6 of the agreement. After hearing evidence, the Judge said it was shown that indentured boys were £ll 14j better off at the end of their term than under the union agreement. A fine of 40.) with costs (I4a) and witnesses’ expenses was imposed upon the breach of working fiftyone hours instead of forty-eight hours. In the second breach a nominal fine of Is was imposed. His Honor said if there were subsequent breadl&es of the Act they would be looked upon by the Court as wilful, and in that case a substantial fine would bo imposed. Mr Tarbult asked what he was to do with the boys. His Honor said he could not advise, and suggested that Mr Tarbutt should get an opinion from his solicitor. He reminded Mr Tarbutt that ho had broken an agreement entered into with the union. The firm of Ireland Bros, had got into an awkward predicament, having indentured boys after an agreement vwith the Curriers’ Union was signed. The wharf laborers’ case at Wellirg on, which took up seventeen days at the first abortive hearing, and has been going on for sixteen days, collapsed yesterday. The employers ascertained from one of the witnesses that two members of the Conciliation Board (Messrs D. P, Fisher and Collins) had been attending the meetings of the

union, and thereupon refused to go : on any further. The case will now go to the Arbitration Court.