ARBITRATION COURT.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXX, Issue 3785, 6 July 1899, Page 7

ARBITRATION COURT.

A MASTER BAKER FINED

. The sitting of the Arbitration Court was continued yesterday, before Mr Justice Edwards (President.' Mr Robert. Slater (workers representative) and MiHenry Thompson (employers’ representative)..

TAILORING TRADE. His Honor delivered judgment in the case in which tho Wellington Operative Tailors’ Union applied for the enforcement of an award against Messrs Berry and On-. He said the Court was of opinion that no breach of the award had been- established. He had 1 already decided- that in cases where pockets were put in by machinery" the amount to he allowed; to tlie workmen was half the price allowed by the log, and he saw no, reason to doubt that decision, and no reason to depart from it. To' the majority, of the Court- it seemed that' thd pockets in question were putin in this case by macliinery within the meaning of the log, and the reason for allowing half, time in such cases, was that the workmen had beep put to some little -trouble. The .Court was of opinion that no breach had been established, and the aplication was therefore dismissed .without costs. , . ■ ; . BAKING TRADE. ' ‘ - The judgment of the Court was also given upon the application of, the. Operative Bakerst Union for the enforcement ,of ; an award against William .Tonks, baker, for an alleged breach of the award respecting the hours of beginning work in the bakehouse. ; Hisil-tonDi-'said the Court Avasr unanimously of opinion -that a very deliberate breach of • the ’award -had been established. Iti appeared that after the award had been made Mr Tonks had endeavoured for a few days to abide by it. but finding it did riottsuit- • hiin, ■ a scheme was entered into th defeat -the award. A document- purporting to- be &l lease, but which was merely a dummy instrument, Was .prepared,- and- the persons- then employed in defendant’s bakehouse entered into an arrangement which had! been proved to be entirely illusory and fictitidus, ns jt made it appear that they had gone into partnership. No accounts had'been kept by the “partners” as to the supply of materials for running the bakery,' and even now the accounts could only be arrived at by guess work., A dummy balance had been prepared to make it appear that the’profits were exactly £2 10s for each of the workmen, and receipts were taken from them for that amount as weekly wages.. This arrqjjigement was’a fraud upon'the Act, and upon the award, and it could not he allowed. Where a systematic and, deliberate breach of the award was proved, ■ a substantial or rather penalty, must bo imposed upon the guilty person! The defendant William Tonks would have to pay a penalty of £lO.. That,” in his Honor’s om'nion, was a very, moderate fine, but he assented to the amount because both arbitrators agreed upon it. Defendant, iyas further ordered to nav £5 5s costs to. the Onerative Bakers’ Union, .and in addition all necessary witnesses’ expenses, according to scale, and all fees. IRON AND BRASS TRADE. ; Mr John Barber appeared for the Ironworkers arid Brassfounders’ Union in a dispute with the" master ironworkers and brassfounders of the city. : Messrs J. P. Luke and -William Cable appeared for -the Masters' Association, and several masters appeared individually. The questions brought before the Court had to do with the number of hours of labour per week, the competency of workmen, the proportion of apprentices to journeymen, and preference of employment for unionists. ■Evidence for the union was gisen by W. C.' Hastings and James Entwhistle. Air Luke addressed the Court on behalf of the employers. He said it was impossible to ’carry out Old Country methods in New' Zealand. . Air Cable strongly urged the masters’ objection to being compelled to give preference to unionists. Messrs D. Robertson, J. Smith,, jun., and Crabtree, employers, also spoke. Mr W. Earnshaw said the system of a minimum, wage was inimical to the interests of the workers themselves. Mr Barber, in reply, said the work done by iron .and brass - founderswas exceedingly"' laborious.He consider-, ed forty-eight hours’ work a week too much for the trade. Forty-four hours

would be quite sufficient. The various points of the union’s demands were emphasised by it a representative. The Court reserved its decision. FURNITURE TRADE. Mr Robinson annlied on behalf of the Furniture Workers’ Industrial Union to have thirty employers bound to the award of the Court of November, 1897, in respect to the employment of men.

Messrs Tieavoy and Asher appeared in response to the summons. Mr Heavey said he belonged to all trades. He kept a second-hand shop, and repaired furniture, mattresses, old kettles, etc. He employed one old man, whom he kept chiefly out of charity. : Mr Asher said he, bought and sold furniture and other articles. He also repaired furniture. Sometimes he employed labour: IMr Robinson said that in the other eases the persons summoned could not ho got at otherwise than by a judgment of the Court. I His Honor said that if tradesmen of the description given in the award were employed by the persons summoned, the award must he obeyed ; hut there could he no liability where such men were not employed. The application was granted.