ARBITRATION COURT.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXIV, Issue 4871, 24 January 1903, Page 2

ARBITRATION COURT.

AWARD IN' THE CARPENTERS’ DISPUTE. Tho Arbitration Court lias announced ils decision m tho carpenters* dispute. In the introductory portion oi ils award iho Court- states that it- teulc a separate award for the city and immediately surrounding districts ot V. eliiugton ami for the country towns mid districts. Tho principal point in dispute was tho minimum wage. An award was made in July. 11 WO. fixing i lie minininm wag-'' for Weihngl on ar Is Id per hour. The union now ashed that that wage be increased to Is i Jd, and Hio employers that it bo reduced to is 2d. Tho weight of evidence on tho union side was in favour of retaining tne existing minimum wage. No evidence was adduced on the part of the employers which would justify' the Court in acceding to their contention that the minimum should be reduced to Is 2d. and when the original reference in tho present dispute was filed by tho employers, they asked tho Court to continue tho minimum wage as fixed by tho last award (Is -Id). Their request to reduce it to Is 2d was evidently called forth by the counter demand of the union asking that tho wage bo Is 71 d per hour.

Proceeding, tho judgment says:—‘AYc are of opinion, therefore, that the minimum wage should be fixed at the ■ sum of Is -til per hour for the city and suburban districts of Wellington, and wo havo prescribed that rate for that portion of tho industrial district, within a radius of twenty-five miles from the chief post office, Wellington. With reference to the country districts outsiae that radius, wo found that in different districts different rates were paid, varying from Is 1-Jd, Is 2d, Is 2ld anti Is 3d per hour in tho Palmerston, Podding, Masterton and Napier towns to Is 3id per hour in Wanganui. Tho evidence .satisfies ns that, with tho exception of Wanganui, where the ruling rate hr.,s been recognised for sumo two years ufc Is 3ld per hour, the fair minimum rata for tho rest of the country district is Is 3d per hour, and wo haVo, therefore, retained, the ruling rate for Wanganui at Is 3td per hour, and have fixed tho rat-o for tho remainder cf tho country district, at Is 3d per hour. W o rvora asked to make one uniform rate for tho minimum wage throughout the industrial district. We are of opinion that there arc many differences iu the conditions existing in tho country districts which render this inadvisable, and which would operate to tho disadvantage of all concerned if we were to‘do this. Wo consider wo arc bound to take these different conditions into consideration in prescribing tho minininm Tva-"o.

The Court proceeded to state that under the last award a certain limited provision was made for fixing a rate cl wages for workers unable to earn tbe minimum- rate. The union asked that such permission should bo still further restricted, so us to limit it to those only who were unable to earn the minimum wage, by reason of age, sickness or accident. Since the' last award, tins Act. of 1900 had been passed. Under section 22 it was the duty of tile Court, when proscribing a minimum wage, to make “special provision lor a lower rate being fixed in the case of any worker wliols unable to earn the prescribed minimum.” If they wore to restrict the permission to be granted under the section to a limited class only, they would be doing Violence, to the provision of the Art, and that quite apart from the question as to whether it was just to prevent a man from working at his calling because ho was not up to tuo standard" of the average competent workman. The Act also province! 'Ui'i!' the Court should sot up a tribunal to fix such lower rate, in such manner, and subject to such conditions, as wore sra edit'd" in that- behalf in tho a.wani. They considered it tho_ duty of Urn Court to make provision for every worker who front any cause was unable to earn tho minimum rate prcscnboc.; and in order that such provision should not bo aim sod, they had provided that the permission to be granted by the tribunal appointed to fix such lesser rate should continue for six months, with power to the tribunal to again fix a lesser rate if tho worker was—after the expiration of the period for which the first permission was grunted—still unable from any cause to earn the minimum rate.

Some applications for exemption wore made By certain Wellington employers, and those wore dealt with in the award. AVith resnoct to the iVeliington. City Council, that body was bound by the last award, and tho Court considered that tho particulars of tho terms of , employment lodged with it did not justify the exclusion of +hc Council froni 'the present award. As regarded tho Harbour Board, Hie conditions under which its men worked word such as to fully warrant tho exemption of tho Board from tho operation of tho award, so long as those conditions were maintained. Tho conditions supplied to tlio Court by the Board bad been deposited with tho Clerk of Awards as evidence of tho present terms of employment of tho men. “In all other respects,” ■ concludes tho Court’s observations, “we have substantially adopted tho conditions of tho last award.” There is no need to repeat the items in tlie award, except to quote the first clause, which sets forth tho hours of labour and exemptions so far as the city is concerned. Tho clause states that tho recognised hours shall be 45 in each week, work commencing (except on Saturdays) at 8. a.m., and finishing at 5 p.m. for all months excepting May, June and July, when the hour of ceasing will he 4.45 o’clock. Half an hour is to be allowed for dinner during the throe winter months, and three-quarters of an hour during tho other nine months. Saturday’s work .starts at 8 a.m., and ceases at-noon. In the factories carried on by' Stewart and Co., Halley and Kwing, Waddell, McLeod and' Weir, Compton Bros., Andrew Compton, and . Prousc* Bros.. tbe week’s work shall consist cf 46 hours, the present practice to be followed with regard to commencing and knocking off work. The award is to take effect from the 26th jnst.. and remain in operation until the 26th January, 1905.

in the award goreming tlio cormtry towns, tlio Court stipulates that tlio ■hours shall ho those at, present observed in. the places affected Trv tlio award .hut shall not exceed 48 for the weak. Piecework and sub-letting are prohibited, and there is to ho no discrimination against members of the rtninn. - Tho norind of the award is to Iv" 1 from the 31st inst. to 31st January,. 1905.