LABOUR DISPUTES.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4396, 29 June 1901, Page 3

LABOUR DISPUTES.

WELLINGTON CONCILIATION BOARD. The Wellington Conciliation Board resumed the hearing of the dispute filed by the Letterpress Printers’ Machinists and Lithographers’ Union yesterday. The same representatives appeared as on the opening day. Included in the correspondence read by the chairman was a letter iiom Mr W. Clement Cargill, of the “Wairarapa Star,” enclosing applications from all the employers in Wairarapa, except one, asking the Board to sit at Mas* terton to hear evidence in the case from the country emplovers. Mr Walsh stated in reply to the chairman that the union did not object to the Board acceding to the for a sitting at Masterton. The union did not intend to tender evidence but it would send a representative to a country session. _ After some discussion, Mr Ferguson, on behalf of the town employers formally objected to th© Board sitting at Masterton. . The Chairman intimated _ that the Board would announce its decision with regard to the coilntry employers application in due course. , ~ Edwin Hicks, whose evidence had been interrupted, stated, in reply to Mr Walsh, that he was factory manager at Whitcombe and Tombs’s, but gave evidence as a practical printer. His hnn employed two competent men in the letterpress machine department—one at £3 5s per week, another at £2 los, and five boys receiving wages at the rate or £1 12s 6d, £1 10s, £1 78 6d, 15s and 12s 6d respectively. In the letterpress department were eight machines, which witness specified. Tn© three higher-paid boys “made ready” for their own machines. It was necessary for the foreman to supervise all work done in the machine room. The man that got £2 15s per week, “made ready” himself in the best class of work done on his machine, and was provided with a competent “feeder,” who received from £1 7s 6d to £1 12s per week. The machinist was responsible'for the work done, not the “feeder.” A really competent “feeder” was necessary m turning out better .class work. He would expect the machinist to do everything, feeding included, in con nection with high-class work. , lithograph department they had three competent men. One received £3 ss, one £3 and one £2 10s per week. The firm had no legally indentured apprentices, but it employed one boy, who was in his fifth year, and who was practically an apprentice. He received -,7s 6d per ‘week. The firm had two feed boys” and two lithographic machines. He had occasionally to put men off on account of slackness pf trade. He would not take work fit “starvation rates to keep the men going, but the firm had to cut it pretty close at times. _ Ihe output from the machine-room should he made to pay for the cost of both the machinery and composing. Shorter hours demanded by the union would lessen the output. That lessened output would debar payment of wages on the scale asked by th e union. The cost of production would he increased by a little over one-third. In a forty-eight hours week at his firm’s present rates the cost of production was 9s Id, as against 13s for a week of forty-four hours. If the men had different hours of labour in the different departments it would tend to dislocate business. He did not consider that all apprentices should he indentured. They found that the present system worked well under which a certificate of competence was given at the end of six years. Theirs was the best way to train boys to become competent journeymen. The foreman was expected to instruct the boys.

To Mr Ferguson: No other firm did “school work” outside his firm in Wei’ lingtcn. That was “ registered ” work, and required an experienced “feeder.” It was not necessary to have a feeder on every job. Only in that special class of work a feeder at 27s 6d per week Avas required. He referred to school book work, which was only done here to assist their Christchurch factory. They had printed drapers’ counter books, and did so still, now and again, but their manufactures had fallen off because they could not pay th e wages for that kind of work. It was done now in Dunedin and on “the other side.” They could not do that class of work and pay £3 5s per week. There were different grades of work. If the demands were granted the cheap grades could not he done here, while they oould be imported. If the cost of production went up 45 per cent, peopie would import more. To meet the difficulty there should be different grades of machinists. It would help to keep the work in the country, at any rate. They would have to put in more machinery if the hours were shortened and if there was no overtime allowed to work off surplusage. It would then require extra capital to carry on business. His firm had given up tin practice of indenturing boys on account of lack of discipline. The present system was a safeguard, for both parties—employers and boys. The foreman instructed the boys'. A boy should be able to consult a journeyman about lr‘s work. To Mr Walsh: The foreman was responsible if anything went wrong with e. job. Ho knew there was a machine at j

Dunedin that printed both sides and did practically everything, to a draper’s counter book, including putting in the carbon plate at the end. He had no practical acquaintance with such a machine. With shortened hours he could give casual hands more employment. To Mr Fisher: In London machine rooms tho proportion of lads and men working was the same as here. Living in Wellington was dearer by 5s than in Christchurch. Under the circumstances £3 would be a fair wage for forty-eight hours’ work here. Wellington, machinists were entitled to more on account of dear living here. Competition was very keen here, and came from north and south. A colonial award would be preferable to existing conditions of the trade. A term of probation would bridge the primary difficulty in apprenticeship. ' A bov was taken on for six years, and then put on as a journeyman at £2 10s if in the machine room. The boy would be neither an apprentice nor a journeyman. His firm got a lot of cheap work, but also a large amount of the higher paid work. . . To Mr Field : They put a time-expired apprentice on the cheaper work, in order to gain experience for better work paid at the rate of £3. If a Christchurch award ruled £3 10s it would not bo ’ necessarily fair that- an extra sum should be added in a Wellington award becaus© living was admittedly dearer liore. There were other factors to be considered in arriving at an equitable wage. If £3 was awarded in Christchurch the profits were less here for the employer, ana £3 would' be a fair wage .for a man, though living was dearer Having to work to time was the reason for being specially busy occasionally. A limitation of hours would increase the difficulty of doing work to time. Peter McAnerin, who had had seven or eight years’ experience, said he received 30s per week. Ho did all the “making ready” for four treadle platen machines. When busy two boys were employed as “feeders,” and supplied the motive power. There was a foreman in To” Mr Ferguson the -witness admitted he had not made all the jobs ready. Ho could do all platen machine work with boys’ assistance. To Mr Fisher : He could not look after cylinder machines the same as he could platens^ r Colling . He-considered himself a competent tradesman. The foreman did the work referred to because witness was busy. _ , , . , To Mr Flockton: He had not been indentured, but now realised the value of apprenticeship. . ’ , Mr Ferguson intimated that he had subpoenaed the Government Printer. This concluded th e union’s evidence. The Board then adjourned until Monday at 10.30 a.m., when the employers’ evidence will he taken.