WORK AND WAGES.

Evening Star, Issue 14035, 16 April 1909, Page 7

WORK AND WAGES.

ALLEGED BREACHES OF AWARDS Reserved judgments were- delivered by Dr M'Arthur, S.M., at Wellington yesterday in cases of alleged breaches of "indus-. tiial awards. In the case of the Inspector of Awards v. Staples and Co., the plaintiff claimed to recover £lO as a penalty for an alleged breach of the Wellington painte;--' award. The defendants employed James M'Millin bs i, painter, and pai<J him only 50s per week of forty-five hours, instead of Is 3d per hoar as required by the painters' award. M'Miilan was a regular hand employed as a maltster's laborer at a constant wag© of 60s a. week. He was engaged off and on during the 6lack season iu doing odd jobs of painting. His Worship ronsidered that the defendants were quite justified in employing M'Millan as they did. They committed no breach. A suit was brought.by the Inspector of Awards against the Wellington Gas Company. The- plaintiff claimed to recover £lO for an alleged breach of the building trade laborers' award. The company employed as building trade laborers two men who were not members of the union when certain members of the union were available. "This is an award," said His Worship, "in which preference is given to unionists. The two men put on were in the employment of the defendant company as stokers, and were members of the Stokers' Union. The men were engaged in erecting a small brick building in the defendant company's works, and were put on as laborers without applying for a transfer. I cannot- forget that both the men employed were members of another union, still it was the duty of the defendant company to have secured transfers. The request of the defendant company that the action be dismissed as trivial cannot be complied with. I think a nominal penalty of £2 and costs will meet the circumstances.

The Wellington Seamen's Union claimed from the Wellington, Havelock, and Motueka S.S. Company £lO as penalty for an alleged breach of award. Charles Grant, an ordinary seaman of the s.s. Manama, was employed in performing the duty of lamp-trimmer on the vessel at a monthly wage of £4 10s, alleged to be contrary to the award, which provided that lamp-trimmers shall be paid a. monthly wage of £7. The magistrate said the Manaroa carried one A.B. in excess of the required number. " Clause 2 of the award," said His Worship, "regulates the rate of wages, and savs that lamp-trimmers and A.B.s shall be paid £B, and lamp-trimmers £7. I take this to mean that if a lamp-trimmer is also an A.B. he shall get- £B, and that if he is a lamp-trimmer pure and simple lie shall get £7. Grant does not come under either denomination. He is not an A.8., and it would be absurd to call him a lamp-trimmer pure and simple on a small steamer of 78 tons. Moreover, he worked under the day system, not the watch system, and did his lamps as part of his day s work, just as he did brass and other work allotted to him. I cannot see that the defendant company have been "nilty of a breach of the award." ° - "

At their last- night's meeting the Otago trades and Labor Council passed the following motion:—"That this Council direct attention to the cablegram in the daily papers that a gambler under tb? name of a. speculator made £IOO.OOO in one day's deal in wheat, and deplore the fact that the commercial system of trad inmakes it possible for this to be done" more especially when it is -ambling with the lood of the people, and thus increasing the cost; and further desire to point out that the same ' speculations ' take place in our own Dominion with the same results, and urge the workers to use every endeavor to put a stop'to this pernicious system.''

Hopes of a settlement of tho dispute have not been fulfilled. -Vt ii, meeting of the Hawkc's Bay Fishermen's l nion last night it was decided to adhere to their demand for regular wa-ses as the share system. There is a difference of opinion whether employees working on shares would enjoy the benefits of the Workers' Compensation ActIhe men state' that thev have a leal opinion, the effect of which is that = if working under the share system thev would not be so protected. "Employers, however, hold a contrary view. Employers and employees in the Wellington clothing trades met in conference yesterday. Mr P. Hally (Conciliation Commissioner) presided, and there were present—Messrs Hercus and Spaui (representing the employers), and the Hon J T. Paul and Mr R. Slater (representiii"the employees). Agreements satisfactory to both parties were arrived at on practically all points submitted having reference to the failoresses' branch. The principal demands for women are a forty-four-h.our week and 2s 6d a week extra wao-es