WORKERS AND UNIONS.

Mataura Ensign, 20 March 1909, Page 5

WORKERS AND UNIONS.

■♦ EMPUIVEUS' POINT OF VIEW. 1-lu us'in-ai i'iu:ss associajion. \VEI,LINGTO.\, March I'J. At i.!ic Arbitration Court to-day lur-tliL-r evidence wa.s taken in the case ii. which .). Parsons was charged with having committed ;i breach of thy pre forciicu clause of the carpenters' award Mr -Justice Sim said that Parsons' cvi donee was conllictiug in regard to hi: examination ol the union's employ nieiil book. The majority of the Cotir: found thai a breaeli had occurred, an:. Parsons was fined £". Mr Brown, ilio employers' repre Mutative, said that in his opinion no man should be convicted on the end once of an employment hook. The fact.therein given were not sufficient to in <lic:ito where workmen I'ould ho found. The book should contain much fuller information and the secretary of tin union should assist, the employers ii. searching for competent union men on! of work. His Honor said that Jt seemed to him 1 hat employers might savo themselves ; great deal of trouble by declining t. employ nun until they had satisfied themselves thai the applicants weri members nf the union.

Mr (ireirfell, who apprared for Hum phrie.s (similarly charged), said tha' i placed an unduly heavy burden on em plovers to ask teem to search for union ists when competent men wero wait in; at their doors. First-class workers dh not require to be bolstered lip by union or to have their rights maintained Ir. them, and therefore they declined Ijoin unions.

His Honor asked whether Mr Creu fell thought that workers would be bet ier oft without unions. Mr OenlYll said (ha- he Inhere': tle-v would. Workers had had in tin past erouiid for complaints, perhaps' hut the great b.idv of'employers treat ed their men lairlv. His Honor said that if so Wellington was a fortunate place. Human mil ill' was different here from what it was ie utile,- parts of the world if employe: bad reached that stage of perfection.