ARBITRATION COURT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15728, 1 October 1914, Page 5

ARBITRATION COURT.

AUCKLAND SESSIONS OPEN. AGREEMENTS RATIFIED. Tire Auckland sittings of the Arbitration Court-, commenced yesterday. His Honor Mr. J ice Stringer presided, and with mm on the Bench were Mr. W. Scott, employers' representative, and Mr. J. A. McCiillough, workers' representative. When the ease Auckland Biograp'n Operators' Industrial Union v. Auckland Continuous Picture Company and others vrae called, Mr. A. Rosser, for the union, so id that all matters in dispute had been settlea, and the Court was only asked to fit the term of the award. For the employers, Mr. F. Duncan consented that the j award should be for two years, dating from October 1, 1914. A similar application was made in the case Auckland and Suburban Local Bodies Labourers' Union v. the Auckland CityCouncil and others, and the term of the award was fixed at three years operating from July 1, 1914, " On the suggestion of the Court Mr. T. t/ong, for the Auckland Hotel Employees' Liiion, agreed to conter with Mr. A. S. Graham in regard to an application to | femp. from the partis tv the Hotel i vv oriels' Award five hotels in the Taupo district, on the grounds that they had tie bar trade and had only a seasonal patronage. In the case of tho Auckland Stage Employees Union v. the Brennan-Fuller Company and others, all matters in dis- : pute were settled at a conference held in : church. It was asked that the i agreement then arrived at should be made Jilo an award, and there being no objections the Court agreed to this course. A . question as to whether the term exigencies of the trade" would allow jewellers to vary the weekly employment ot their men was the only point standing in the way cf an agreement arrived at between the Auckland Jewellers, Watch and Uockmakers" Union and the employers being made into an award. Mr. B. Martin, for the union, said the men were | quite agreeable to working short time t ur.ng the- present crisis. His Honor assured the employers' representative, .Mr. j L Grosvenor, that a clause would be inserted which would meet the difficulty j mentioned. He thought tin term "exi"- , genrißs of the trade' was hardlv an espressive one.

adding parties to awards. An application was made by Mr 4 Rosser to add parties to the Auckland Painters Award, and Mr. 0. Grosvenor, tor the . employers, suggested that these applications should not, be considered in such unsettled tiroes. lis Honor: But other employers are bound by this award. Why should certain employers stand outside the award when everybody else is bound? Mr. Grosvenor: I am only expressing my persona] opinion. His Honor : Perhaps you, yourself will see the loroe of this argument. ' Mr. Grosvenor : I admit there is a certain amount of logic in Your Honor's contention.

His Honor : I am glad 10 hear yon say that (Laughter.) J '"."lies were added to ths Auckland workers Award, In™ Zealand 1 rated Plumbers and Gasfitters' Award. Amalgamated Society of Carpenters ano ,Joiners' Award, and the Aerated Water Workers' Award. Mr. C. Gros venor, for the employers, opposed several applications, and the Court reserved its decision as to whether several parties should be added to the Plumbers and Gasfitters Award and to the Carpenters and Joiners Award.

TECHNICAL BREACH. The Inspector of Awards. Mr. Walter iNewton, proceeded against the Kami Timber Company (Mr. J. C. Martin) in respect of two alleged breaches of the Auckland limberworkers' Award. In the first case it was claimed that during the period May 9 to July 9 1914, the company employed i. McQuinlan in the dual capacity of enginedriver and night-watchman,' and paid wages in the latter capacity. In the second case it was claimed that during the same period another man, named Bowman employed as a night-watchman on Sundays and Saturday afternoons, did not receive Is 3d per hour required for such work. In each case a £10 penalty was asked for The Court held that there had been no breach of the award iji the first case, because the duties which the watchman' was asked to do did not bring him under the definition of an enginedriver. In the other case, it ■was. decided that a technical breach of the award had been committed but no penalty was imposed. '

EXTENSION OF AWARD. No opposition was made by the employers to Mr. T. Long's application that the scope of the Petone Woollen Mills Award should be extended to cover the Auckland district, and the application was accordingly granted. The Court then adjourned until 10 a.m. to-day. There are some 17 compensation cases to be heard, and these will occupy the greater part of the session.