ARBITRATION COURT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIX, Issue 11554, 15 April 1898, Page 2

ARBITRATION COURT.

‘ -THE ENGINEERING DISPUTE. ' The Arbitration Court, presided over by •his Honor Mr Justice Edwards, sat again yesterday, when the taking of evidence was continued, Mr Fraser called J. Sturgess, who repeated his evidence given' before the Conciliation Board. ■At 11.30 Mr G. Anderson (Christchurch •Meat Company) asked for the ruling of the Court as to whether the Freezing Companies came under the dispute or not. His Honor replied that the Court had decided to hear the evidence. Mr Sturgess was then examined by Mr Fraser, and deposed to having worked on’ the machinery both at Islington and Belfast. Witness had received 11s a day at Islington and 10s a day at Belfast. At Islington he was paid one and a quarter and one and a half ordinary rates for overtime, but at Belfast he had to work overtime for the bare rates, and considered this fact was a disgrace to the colony. The engineers in charge of the machinery at these factories had as responsible work to do as any other engineers, and properly qualified men were needed to do this class of work.

To Mr Anderson: Could not sa,y if the engineer at the Islington Factory employed'whom he liked, nor whether when a breakdown occurred, fitters were sent out from ' the town' shops. So far as witness knew, the Islington Factory always paid their men at the highest current rates. Witness would not be surprised to hear that an electrical engineer or refrigerating engineers were employed at Belfast, or that the latter were paid very high salaries.

Mr Anderson pointed out that refrigerating engineers formed practically a ‘distinct trade, and it might he necessary lor them to form a union among themselves.

Re-examined by Mr Fraser: Had -never heard before to-day of engineers being engaged from the town shops, but had • always ‘ believed that the men were engaged by the companies when wanted. Witness had always been engaged in this way. J. Jackson deposed that sixteen years ago he served his time as an engineer with Messrs Scott Bros. He earned 10s a day .in Victoria, but on returning to Christchurch in 1891, could only get 9s a day at Messrs Anderson’s, and was now working \ at 9s a day for Messrs Scott Bros.

To Mr Scott: When witness was working at Melbourne it was the time of the boom.. Witness was employed working at the'exhibition. Most of the engineers , k wei'ei out of work in Melbourne when witness left for New Zealand. .. .James Chalmers, a fitter, had worked , .sixteen years ago with Messrs Sparrow and Co., Dunedin, for 10s a day, and then at the Government Workshops at 11s a day. Had afterwards worked at the Ashburton branch of Messrs P. and D. Duncan’s business at 11s a day. Worked nine or ten years with the Christchurch Tramway Company, where his salary rose up to .£3OO a year. The fitters employed at the tramway sheds under his supervision were paid 9s a day. Witness had worked four months at Islington, and for the last three years at the Addington Workshops, where he got 10s a day, with the usual overtime allowance. He had worked on the construction of railways for the Czar ;*of Russia, and got overtime there. The witness was generally in favour of the demands formulated by the Society, and considered there were too many apprentices in Christchurch. In cross-examination by Mr Booth, witness said he would sooner work forty-four hours a week for forty-four hours’ pay than forty-eight hours a week for forty-eight hours’ pay. «* ' William Wickham, fitter, had served an apprenticeship of seven years in England, jand had twenty-eight years’ colonial experience of his trade. Up till lately he aad been employed at Islington, where ho was engaged and dismissed by the chief engineer. He left because he objected to eight hour watches, Sundays included. • ’ William Mander, fitter, had served his apprenticeship in England, and had been four years in New Zealand. Had been paid by the North Island freezing works 10s per day of eight hours, with time and a quarter rate for overtime for the first two hours and time and a half rate afterwards. He had worked six months with the Union Company at lls a day. That company paid time and a quarter rate up to 7 p.m., time and a half rate afterwards. He considered the proportion of boys to men in New Zealand shops was too great, ■especially at Wellington, where those employed were nearly all boys. Witness was at present engaged at the Addington Workshops at 9s 6d per day. He approved of the Union demands. To Mr Booth: What they really wanted was an increase of wages; they were not so particular about hours. He would rather work forty-eight hours a week and get wages for fifty hours than work forty-four hours a week and get wages for forty-four hours. To Mr Fraser: That was his own bpijlion, He,' was not , speaking -.for Others.' ■ ‘ ' ’ George Sommers, who had worked in

Canterbury as a millwright and fitter since 1875, considered there were more boys employed in the Christchurch shops in proportion to men than used to be the case. Witness approved of the Union demands. Mr Fraser said two more witnesses would close the men’s case, and at 5.10 p.m. the Court adjourned till ten o’clock this morning.