IN NEW ZEALAND.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 29 June 1911, Page 5

IN NEW ZEALAND.

WELLINGTON CARPENTERS. ARBITRATION COURT PROCEEDINGS. WELLINGTON, Wednes. Tile Arbitration Court continued its sittings to-day. Judgment was reserved in the compensation case brought bv the executors of Alexander McHutcheon, a road overseer for the Castlepoint County Council, a claim for £SOO and £2O funeral expenses. Deceased met with a fatal accident while driving from his home to the county office. The defence claimed that deceased did not meet with the accident while engaged in the course of his employment as a worker. He was not employed till he started' his work. The hearing was commenced of a dispute between the Carpenters' and Joiners' Union and the employers. Mr. Maddison, for the Union, said the main points-in which the claims were different from the old award were in regard to wages, preference, and exemption. The Union was asking for a minimum wage of Is 8d an hour and a week of 40 hours.

His Honour : Is that put forward as a serious demand ?

Mr. Maddison: Yes, your Honour. We make that demand seriously.

His Honour : You ask the Court to increase the rate by 4d an hour?

Mr. Maddison: What is demanded by the Union is. wo consider, justified by the positiiiiv ot thm/s at the present time. The present >:i.kc. he w.-ni - n t>-

.say. was the satm- a.< was bel'm-,. Iho Court in .June, 1909. He sn<>ko at length on the .subject of average- earnings greatly reduced by periods of unemployment. His Honour: Ought we to take the questi'ii of unemployment into the. matter of framing a minimum wage at all? Cant you see that if tire minimum were raised for that reason there would be a rush to the ranks of carpenters and joiners of a lame number of men? Hhis must increase the proportion of unemployed ; then you will ask the Court to raise the minimum to 2s an hour, and so on. The Court, he added, was not able t" provide an insurance fund for 'unemployment. That was for Parliament to do. Evidence* for the Union, was then heard-. The case will be continued tomorrow.