THE SLOW WORKER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14300, 21 February 1910, Page 6

THE SLOW WORKER.

UNION GETS A JACKETING. .. Is Sydney last. week Judge Heydon had occasion to' comment upon the; sctkiu-.of' tee Farriers* Union in summoning an eiaployer for not pstj mg one of his men the minimum wage. In, this case it' was. proved that the employee had a permit to be employed at a rate bellow toe minimum wages as a slow worker., ■' : : r .':■':'■- ; >-- *--"';.'":;' ' Wig Honor said , that the case afforded a. good illustration of the ; necessary , : for ; protecting slow workers, i. Slowness was one of the elements of incompetence, but because a man 'who. had reached the age of 55 had become slower in his work than when he 1 was in the full rigour of manhood, that was no reason why he should be debarred from getting employment altogether. ;It-''wasvHa' barbarous business .to force 'these willing ■ and ' partly competent men into* the charitable insii tutions. He ;■■ ccoM" think of- no rater wrong, and the Legislature had wise-* fy decided to protect stick men. . He would certainty, come " down hard upon any; em-; plover ; who. abased' the benevolent provisions 'of..- the ■"'. Act. but is >' this ■ case ; there 'vii • no-' thing to suggest that lie employer had endeavoured to do hoc- On the face of matters, 'it was a cruel thing for the union to keep following this old man about, to prevent him getting work, it appeared to him. a blameworthy proceeding..' ' ■"-' a ■:;..'. The re]?resentative: of the union said that the union dealt only with the principle of paying lest than the minimum wage in this case, so it did not follow \ the man- about. His' Honor dismissed the -summons, but without costs, as there had been a breach of the' law by someone in not; notifying the union of the conditions of;employment. '■''■■■',