TERMINAL PORTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15730, 3 October 1914, Page 5

TERMINAL PORTS.

INTERPRETATION OF AWARD. EFFECT ON COASTAL SHIPS. The Arbitration Court, consisting of His Honor Mr. Justice Stringer and Messrs. W. Scott, employers' representative, and J. A. McCullough, workers' representative, was yesterday, at the instance of the inspector of awards,' Mr. Walter Newton, called upon to interpret clause 9 of the Auckland Cooks and Stewards' Award of May 7, .dl 2.'

Mr. ,W. Trimblett, secretary, appeared for the Cooks and Stewards' Union, and '"Mr. C. Grosvenor, secretary, for the Employers' Association.

The clause in dispute, clause 9, reads:"When steamers arrive in port on Sundays and holidays and sail again the same day, overtime shall be ■ paid to the whole of the providore department at the aforesaid rates, Bs, and not less than 4s, roadstead and coastal stations excepted."

Mr. Trimblett contended that Tiaraua, on the Anckland-Kuaptunu-Mercury BayTiara ua run, was a terminal port, and not a coastal station. The question before the Court was :—Should the whole of the providore department be paid overtime rates for work on Sunday, as provided for by the above clause? ... . /'

Speaking on behalf of the Employers' Association, Mr, Grosvenor said tuat the point put forward by the Cooks and Stewards' Union was a new one. The union had been satisfied with the existing arrangement for the " past ' seven years. Tiaraua and Mercury . Bay had always, been accepted as coastal stations, and Kuaotunu was recognised as a, roadstead. In announcing the decision pfthe Court,. His Honor said that the question, .would have to be decided on general principles. Where it was shown that the parties had •adapted a particular interpretation 'in a case where the terms were" ambiguous, that interpretation would be upheld. The union's only course now was To seek to get the definition of " coastal station " that it wanted, embodied in the' next agreement that was made. The answer to the question, in so far 'as it applied to the run in dispute, would be.in 'the negative. ...