OUR DUNEDIN TELEGRAMS.

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 May 1907, Page 3

OUR DUNEDIN TELEGRAMS.

[by telegraph—special to star)

DUNEDIN, This Day.

The employers in the four centres intend to hold meetings to discuss certain alterations made in recent awards of the Arbitration Court. The local Association will hold their meeting on Thursday. Mr W. Scott, who has just returned from Auckland, where he represented the employers in several disputes before the Arbi tration Court, says that the Court in some of its recent awards has practically gone back on the judgment and findings of previous courts. More especially is this so in regard to such matters as weekly employment. In connection with the manufacturing trades, inspectors of factories dealing with breaches of awards in a judicial way and preference of employment to unionists.

The Otago Harbour Board has made an offer to the Timaru Harbour Board to charter its dredge for three months, with the option of purchase at the end of that time.

DUNEDIN, This Day.

Mr Justiop Williams gave a judgment of great importance to shippers on Friday morning in the case of Ross and Glendining Ltd., agaist the Shaw Savill and Albion Company. Tho claim rose out of certain wool being damaged whilst in transit to Port Chambers by the lighter Thomas and Henry, for the Relphic. Tho defence was that the damage was due to a collision with some floating object in the harbour, and not owing to the unseaworthiness of the lighter. The defence in law was that although no bill of lading had been signed, yet the ordinary custom of the mercantile community rendered it necessary to read into the contact the terms of the bill of lading, and that in such a case all lightering was at the risk and expense of the shipper. After dealing fully with the law on the question, and finding in favour of the plaintiffs, his honor said if he had to decide on the facts, he would hold that the Thomas and Henry were unseaworthy and that she must have been in a condition that caused a leak as soon as she began the tow. Judgment was entered for £251 and costs.