ANOTHER ARBITRATION DIFFICULTY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12213, 7 March 1903, Page 5

ANOTHER ARBITRATION DIFFICULTY.

THE CARTERS' UNION V. MR. J. PEACII. In reference to thi3 case, vyliieh v?a§ adjudicated upon by the Arbitration* Court on Tuesday last, we have received the following statement from Mr. Peach, of Green Lane:—"For the last' 20 years I have' been farming on my own account over 200 acres of land, arid my employees are engaged" as ploughmen and general farm hands, and unless they are firstclass ploughmen they are of ho use to me. Besides my own farming operations I do ,a great deal of' ploughing and general farm Work' for neighbours arid others in my vicinity. Jour of my emplgVees of a team of two horses eadh'r&nd When not Requited for farm work it has been ii}t practice'to let out one or more teams to contractors arid others for carting work;" and occasionally I have taken a contract myself for similar'wprk frpm the' 'local 1 road boards. r . In that way only have I'had carters "in h(y eihploy, but as toy irifcri were never engaged' 'continuously' in "cart: ing work did not consider" that either they or I were subject to the award. During the month of January last my 'teams did no catting jyork whatever, and during the past month two teams ' only ' were ■ so enjplqyed on nine days for' Messrs'. ■ Pascoe and 'Co. *, The effect of the recent decision 'will' simply be 'that I must relinquish carting work altogether, and reduce the numbgEi of my hands -and- teams, as I canriot afford to pay ploughmen and farm bands the rate of wages prescribed for carters: None'of my' employees belong to 'the union, and "they'> expressed themselves ; as'"perfectly satisfied with the wages I paid them. 'I trust the above will sufficiently show that I have hot- been seeking to obtain an "unfair advantage over other employers of carters, and that ih supplementing my,. farm work by" occasional carting work I ha'v.e been" acting rather in the interests 'of tlie men ' than of iny self' by "finding them , constant employment arid pontxriuoils wages.' t It is with regret that'l am' how compelled to discharge two 'of my employees, as I'have no fault against them, but I hgvtJ no alternative, as I cannot find thein vyOrk under existing conditions."' "" ' 1 *;