SHEARING DISPUTE.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLV, Issue 59, 10 March 1911, Page 2

SHEARING DISPUTE.

THE SHED HANDS

SOME - STATISTICAL EVIDENCE

Following upon the making of an award for shearers several months ago, the • Shearers' Union is now seeking an-,award for shed hands. At the Arbitration Court on Tuesday morning (reports The Dominion) Mr M. Laracy represented the union, and Mr W. Pryor * the employers. Tho case' was formally confined to the Wellington district, as the_ Court has no power to make a Dominion award, but it was understood that the terms to be settled here would be subsequently embodied in awards covering the whole'of New Zealand. The union demanded £2 a week and found for shed hands ,of all descriptions, excluding those who are permanent farm or station hands.

Mr Laracy agreed to put in a copy of all the evidence taken at Christchurch. He did not call fresh evidence.

Frederick Hulbert Labatt, called'; by Mr Pryor, said he'was an accountant at Christchurch, and secretary of the New Zealand Shipowners' Fed-> : ; oration, submitted:statistical inform-: ation obtained from returns of 130 sheds in the Wellington Industrial, District. In sheds 588 hands (apart from shearers) were employed, 275 being permanent station hands and 333 casual employees, being 46.76 and 53.24 per cent, respectively. Of the 588 hands, 492 were "found" by the .employees, and U6. "found" themselves.- Pressers.'were paid 5s to 10s per day (average 7s 8d), £1 and . upwards per week (average 30s 6d), or per balo, average Is 7d. Fleece-pickers were paid in different, cases by the week, the day, and the hour, the averages being respectively 30s 6d, 6s lid, and -Is. Wool-rollers' pay ranged from 25s to 40s per/ week (45s in 1 one case). When ; paid by the hour the average was Is jan hour. ..The'men Were "found" in ' most qascs. 'Cooks were paid 5s 10d :to 10a per day (average 6s 6d), or 1 28s to' 60s per week (average 41s 9d). Dag cutters and other hands averaged 8s Id per day', or 25s> to ,46s per week (60s in one case), averaging I 28s lOd. In five sheds they were I paid by the hour, at Is an hour. ; The inquiries were addressed to all "inenibtrs of the federation who would jbe affected by the Wellington award, ! and there was no selection among the replies. The number of sheepownj jers in tho Wellington district, .including Wanganui, Rangifcikei, and 1 Wairarapa, was 4608. of which num- | ber 4093 or 88.82 per cent, owned flocks; of 2500 .sheep and under. 1 There were in the Dominion 21,858 sheepowners, of whom 19,999 (91 per cent.) owned 25000, and under. Mr Laracy cfe>ssf£xamined tho. witness with a view to showing that the sources of the statistics were too limited fco make them of value.

Mr; Pryor said the 'New Zealand Farmers' Union ivas joined as a party, but he submitted that this could not be done, as the union was not registered under the Act. Members were also cited separately. In reply to the president, Mr Pryor said he would probably wish to call evidence at other places. He also said that the employers had not framed any proposals, as they hoped to demonstrate to the Court that ho award was required. - The president advised him ndt to anticipate that. The employers should in then* own interest submit terms and thus assist the Court.

Mr i Pryor said this would be gone into by a conference of the employers. He hoped to assist the Court in every possible way, and he would point out that all the evidence of value had been submitted by them. They did not want to tie themselves down by stating terms. His Honor said the case would be further heard at Palmerston North, Wanganui and Napier.