ARBITRATION COURT.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4488, 16 October 1901, Page 3

ARBITRATION COURT.

WHARF LABOUR DISPUTE

The hearing of the wharf labour ch«. puto by the Arbitration Court was continued yesterday. Mr G. F. Smith, assistant secretary of tho Wellington Harbour Board, continued his address on behalf of that body. Tho employers, ho said, asked for a reduction of wages to Is Id per hour. In support of this claim, he referred to the wages paid by Government departments- Fortunately, ho was also able to make a comparison with the wages in an outside employment—that of building trade labourers. Tho Build* ing Trades Labourers’ Union had a ais„ puto in whioh they originally demanded a wage of Is 3d per hour. The Master Builders’ Association would not go fur. ther than Is Id per hour. The present wage was Is. The masters were willing to give yvhat the employers in tho present dispute wore asking should be the wage for wharf labourers. The Building Trades Labourers’ Union would not come below Is lid per hour, the late which tho Board was now paying to its wharf labourers. As to the question of double dumps, Mr McLaren (president of the Wharf Labourers’ Union) had made certain statements. Twice ibis year tho Board had been petitioned by the shipowners in regard to tho charges which it made for double dumps. The shipowners considered that tho Board was charging too much tor them. The Board, however, could not charge less. If tho Court were to determine that two men were necessary for wheeling double dumps, tho flax and wool merchants would have to bear tho cost. The Board passed everything on to some, cno elss. The charges at terminal ports wore looked into by shippers. If a set. tier found ho should get his wool away cheaper by shipping from Napier in stead of from Wellington, he would ship from Napier. Tho same thing would apply as between Wanganui and Wellington. Tho Wellington Harbour Board tried to attract all the cargo it could to this port, and tho more it could attract tho better it was for the wharf labourers- An important question in connect tion with the union’s demand for increased wages was as to where the dl vidlng lino between unskilled and skilled labour wag to be drawn. If unskilled labour was to bo paid the same or nearly the same wage as skilled labour, what necessity would there bo for anyone to become a skilled labourer ? A statement recently made by Mr Nicholas Reid, president of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, showed that so fur as necessaries were concerned the cost of living was very low. . Mr Justice Cooper said he had seen the statement, and also the criticism of it made by Mr Tanner in the House of Representatives. Mr Smith referred to a synopsis of imports published by the v Trade Review ” to show the increase which had taken place during the last three to five years ag compared with the preceding years in the importation of spirits, cigars, tobacco, pipes, fancy goods, musical instruments, jewellery and pianos : nto Now Zealand. The average landed cost of the pianos showed that they were of a description Which would be bought by working men. , „ Mr Justice Cooper said the liquor bill of the. colony wag now very much less than it was ton years ago. Some of the money saved might have been spent on pianos. Mr Smith asked where the money was to come from if an increase in wages was granted to wharf labourers. An increase of Jd for the current year might possibly amount to £IOOO in the case of the Harbour Board. Whenever the Board was called upon to find money which it had not made arrangements lor. it looked about to see what class of its clients it could get it from. Ho had gone over the various itemc in the receipts in order to see where it could most easily get the £IOOO, if it had to find it. Nearly all classes of the. Board’s clients.had felt the weight of its hand in the shape of increased charges. The only clients of tho Board which had not felt it in this way were the coal merchants. About 77,000 tons of coal passed over the Board’s wharves last year. An increase of 3d per ton in the charges on that coal would give the Board about £9OO, which wa s the amount ra. quired to meet an increase of id per hour in the wages of wharf labourers. The effect so far as the general comma, nity wag concornod would be that the coal merchants would raise the price of coal by 6d. There was no 3d in their coinage. (Laughter.) It was too soon, perhaps, to say anything about the effect of tho Federal tariff- But if the tariff wag going to affect the Union Steam Ship Company as had been stated, it would affect the Board also. The Board cliti not- wish' to have to lace an increase in. wages, with a possibility of Joss in its revenue in consequence of the effects of the Federal tariff. As to ,*ho preference clause, so far as the Board was concerned, . he believed it could throw everything else overboard ■rather than have to submit to that condition. If; the preference clause was granted, Mr McLaren would become a 'power on tho wharf. When the Board employed! as many as 300 men in one day, it was inevitable that disputes should occur between some of the men and the Board's labour foreman. At present, the labour foremau could tell a man to do anything in reason. But tinder a preference clause his authority wnu'd be disputed at every point. Mr Smith asked that the Court's award should not apply to men who were engaged by the Board in special work, such as wool pressing, although they might be casual labourers.. He also ask* ed that it should not apply to casual labourers employed by the Boajd m the maintenance of wharves and roads. Mr O. E. Cross (Wellington manager for John Mill and Co.) addressed the Cor-xt in connection with the working of vessels in the Home trade. Evidence had neon given for the union that the average rate for the discharging and bunkering of coal was from 17 to 20 tons per hour, according to tho size of the hulks, and steamers. As to this matter, Mr C 1033 put in the following statement of the time occupied in coaling the undermentioned steamers this year on the dates mentioned:— Banffshire.—March 7. three gangs at man to the gang), 1535 tons ired, 102 hours worked (66 Honrs ordinary time, and 36 .hours overtime), average per hour 15 r 2 tong. Royalist.—April 18, two gangs, 416 tons, SO hours (all ordinary time), aver, age per hour 13.5 tons. Bechuana.—May 16, three gangs, 565 tons, 44 hours (all ordinary time),- aveiage per hour 12.8 tons. Paparoa.—May 22, three and four gangs, 610 tons, 60 hours (24 hours ordinary time and 36 hours overtime), average per hour 10 U>th tons. Lynalder.—June' 4, three gangs, 400 tons, 28 hours (all ordinary time), average per hour 14.3 tons. Cornwall.—June 6, three gangs, 405 tons, 28 hours (14 hours ordinary time and 14 hours overtime), average per hour 14.6 tons. Westralia.—June 8, one gang, 50 tons, 41 hours (all ordinary time'), average per hour 12.2 tons. Buteshire. —July 6, three gangs, 955 tons, 80 hours (46 hours ordinary time

and 34 hours overtime), average per hour 11.9 tonsPresident Sarmiento.—July 24, threo gangs, 310 tons. 28 hours (18 hours ordinary time and 10 hours overtime), aver, age per hour 11.1 tons. Fifeshire. —August 15, three gangs and ex steamer, 1300 tons, 88 hours 1,70 nours ordinary time and 18 hours overtime), average per hour 14.7 tons. Average for all steamers, 13.3 tons per hour. In. tho case of the Banffshire, the hulk was emptied and tho balance was ex steamer and the hulk Joan Pierre. The quantity of loading in the hulk Coromandel when coaling tho above steamers was as follows : —Banffshire, full (say 1350 tons); Royalist, 812 tons; Bechuana, 1270 tons; Paparoa, 705 tons; Lynalder, 1101 tons; Cornwall, 701 tons; Westralia, 296 tons; Buteshire, 972 tons; President Sarmiento, 340 tons; Fifeshire, full (besides hulk William Manson and steamer Kotuku). Mr Cross, continuing, quoted from a tabulated statement to show that there had been an enormous reduction in freights in the period between. 1890 and 1901. The trade of New Zealand had not kept pace with the steamers which had been built for the trade. This year, the following steamers left the colony for London short of cargo to the extent mentioned: The Tyser Line—Mimiro, 2300 tons; Star of New Zealand, 450 tons; Tomoana, 1500 tons; Indraghiri, 800 tons. Tho Shire Lino—Fifeshire. 4000 tons. New Zealand Shipping Company— Rimutaka, 4000 tons; Wakanui, 300 tons. Shaw, Savill and Albion Company— Waiwera, 500 tons. Total shortage for eight steamers, 13,. 850 tons. Mr Justice Cooper: Is that during the last four months? Mr Cross; Yes, Mr Justice Cooper: Is that the slack season ? Mr Cross: We looked forward to filling up with grain, but, notwithstanding the fact that the companies offered to take it Homo at 15s per ton, they did not get it. Mr Justice Cooper suggested that the South African trade had made some difference.

Mr Cross said that it was oats which were sent to South Africa. The South African market’s requirements did not interfere with New Zealand wheat. Mr Cross added that tho steamer _ Star of Australia had to go to Australia for a load. The Otarama had been laid up alongside the Glasgow Wharf jtor nearly a month, - waiting for a cargo, and she was likely to be there for some time longer. Mr Justice Cooper: What do you pub this down to? Mr Cross said that one reason was that the market for frozen meat showed a lowering tendency. The competition of Argentina was being felt. ■ The wool market, as regarded North Island products, was very much depressed. The expenses of the shipping companies in collecting cargo in New Zealand were very heavy, and, altogether, ho thought that there was no warrant for any further advance in the cost of labour. _ The shipowners had brought their freights down to bed-rock prices. There were something like 1100 to 1200 non-unionists on the Wellington wharves in a year, against about' 400 unionists. In conclusion, Mr Cross referred to the speeches of the Premier and Mr W. Nanghton at the Eight Hours_ Demonstration in regard to the attitude of workers towards the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. Mr Justice Cooper: Wo have nothing to do with the utterances of public men; we have to do with the evidence before us. D McLaren, president of the Welling, ton'Wharf Labourers’ Union, in 'reply to questions, said the union had 414 members. No man had been coerced into joining the union. . By'Mr Cross: Thirty-four stevedoring men were members of the union.; Mr Cross: I maintain there are over 400 stevedore men at work. By Mr Smith: There was a good deal d£ give-and-take in connection with Harbour Board work. Complaints had been made againgt other employers in regard to fractional time. He had repeatedly heard good workmen, wno got a good run of -work, say they would sooner see double-dumps shifted by horses. ’ ' " W. H. Ward, labour foreman, Union Company, gave particulars .of vessels the working of which had been delayed by the shortage of labour. ' By Mr A. Graff (vice-president, V* harf Labourers’ Union): In the majority of cases the delays were only for a couple of hours or so. He had known men to be engaged early in the morning on busy days, and kept idle in holds in order to prevent other employers from getting them.. Mr Graff, replying on behalf of the union, quoted figures to show that pilfering did not prevail to any serious extent on the Wellington wharves. If employers showed a proper spirit towards the mien, a preference of employment clause could net act in any but a' beneficial way. Mr McLaren also reviewed the evidence. He said the union had passed through great trials- It showed that the men were in earnest in putting 101ward their claims when the union’s membership was so large as 414. ile criticised the present administration ct the Board’s labour department. The union was only asking for preference for those of its members who were competent. It was quite erroneous to say that it want* ed unionists only to be employed. Mr Justice Cooper said the parties would be adviged as to when, the award of the Court would be delivered.