WORK AND WAGES.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6494, 14 April 1908, Page 5

WORK AND WAGES.

THE BLACKBALL STRIKE ANOTHER CONFERENCE TENDING. ME PRITCHARD AND MR STEAD. Mr D. K. Pritchard, who has been in Wellington for the past few days, received a telegram yesterday from Christchurch, asking him to go there at once to confer with Mr G. G, Stead, chairman of directors of the Blackball Coni Company, on the subject of the strike. Mr Pritchard accordingly left for the South last evening, CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE STRIKERS PEESS ASSOCIATION. GREYMOUTII, April 13. The Wharf Labourers' Union, at the meeting on Sunday, decided to continue support to tho wives and children of Blackball strikers. The meeting was addressed by Messrs Rodgers and Goldsmith, of Blackball. A meeting of Tyneside miners is called for Friday to reconsider their action on Saturday of withdrawing support from the miners at Blackball. "One of the Strikers/’ writing to the "Grey River Argus” regarding Saturday’s meeting at Blackball, states that the miners were told before the meeting that they wero going to get 30s a week for each man, 10s for the wife, and 5s for each child. The desire to have money without working was too strong, and "consequently tho opportunity for a settlement passes, and we are going to continue to live on the money of others. Tho meeting passed off nicely, and we all returned later and received cur weekly allowance—some of us up to the tune of £4 5e/ J LABODFERS’ DEMANDS. CONCILIATION BOARD AT WANGANUI. (Special to the f( N,Z. Times.”) WANGANUI, April 13. The Conciliation Board sat hero Today to deal with tho general labourer/ case. In rpening tho ease Air Reardon said the*, unions desired the Board to settle the ease if possible, without recourse to the Court. For that reason, as the employers had not taken advantage of the provision of the Act which enabled them to go direct to the Court, tho union was prepared to meet them in conference. But the union would ho no party to the organised attempt which was being made to ig- ; nor© the Ckmciliatior; Board, and would go tire length of saying that people who lent themselves to it were storing up trouble, as organised 1 aboilr believed in Conciliation Boards, and -would oppose attempts to discredit them. Mr Caiman, on behalf of the Employers’ Association, said his instructions were that the employers considered that no dispute existed, and the employers could not be parties to a dispute unless- one actually existed. Moreover, if there was a dispute it should go direct to the Court. The employers had also decided not to confer before the Board, because of Judge Sim’s ruling that if they did so and subsequently took the case to the Court, they would have to begin. The chairman, in reply, said be.bad seen statements in the- press that no dispute existed }>etweon the employers and the labourers, but these were quite contrary bo fact. The Act not only countenanced, but encouraged the formation of unions, and when a union was formed and claims wore filed, a dispute existed in terms of the Act and the Board had to do its duty and deal with it in the regular way prescribed ly law. Unless employers took advantage of section 60 and took the case it tho Court, to .ask the Board to let the case go to the Court was childish, as that could only be done in a lawful way by the Board filing its recommendations. Tho Board in the present instance had not invited the employers tc. confer, but had subpcenaed those whom 4t required, and wfuld take their evidence and use it independently of outside advice. The Beard then took the evidence of a number of witnesses, including Mr Mackay. the Mayer of Wanganui. The i.r-ion also called several labourers as witnesses, nil of whom considered that the existing wages were too low. After a sitting lart-ing iwo Uou;s the Board adjourned to Palmerston.

a farmer's views. (From Our Otto Correspondent.) cm? ISTCHURCH, April 13. T. J 3. Howson, a well known Leeston farmer, giving evidence before the Conciliation Board this morning, said he had offered to join the Farm Labourers’ Union, but the union would not accept him. This was to be regretted, because ho was of opinion that if there bad been several farmers on the union the matters in dispute could have been discussed and some amicable agreement arrived at. The Farm Labourers’ Union, in declining his membership, had not treated the farmers with the same liberality that the Farmers’ Union was prepared to treat the farm labourer. The last Farmers’ Union had offered to accept farm labourers as members at half rates. Had this offe" been accepted Mr Howson thought it would hare given tile farm labourers an opportunity of bringing thoir grievances before the farmers, cither by reading a paper or by other means. It was possible that for remedying any grievance could have been brought to a successful issue, and the country saved tho expense of the Conciliation Board proceedings. CARTERS ON STRIKE. A DEMAND FOR MORE PAY. PEEBS ASSOCIATION. HASTINGS. April 13. Eleven of the Hastings bakers’ carters struck for bettor pay this morning. , Tho strikers state that they iiavs ibeon receiving forty-two shillings a week of fifty-four hours, but more often than not have worked sixty hours. They claim fifty shillings and overtime. They met on Saturday night, and|

decided to strike if their demands : were not acceded to. No reply has > yet been received from the employers. The master bakers are refusing to put on men in place of the strikers. Many of tho latter are married men, and evince a desire to come to terms and resume work. They are to wait upon tho employers to-night and dis cuss tho situation. The delivery carts were taken round this morning by the employers and bake-house hands, and so far trade is uninterrupted. NAPIER, April 13. Mr Culver, Inspector of Awards and Factories, accompanied by Mr Gobns, his successor, hnd an interview this afternoon with the bakers’ carters who are on strike at Hastings. The men were advised to resume work, ‘and, if they had not received any back pay, to put in claims for it. EMPLOYERS FINED. NAPIER, April 13. Twr keepers of temperance hotels and a Tcstauraiifc keeper were fined at the Magistrate’s Court to-day for employing assistants more than the maximum number of hours in one week. ELECTRICAL WORKERS’ AWARD. Tho award of the Wellington FJlec-tnc-al Workers, embodying an agreement between empl -yers and employees, was filed with tho Olerk of Awards iMr A. Stubbs) yesterday. The award will bo :u force between May Ist next and May Ist, 1910DRIVERS’ AWARD. Yesterday morning an award in ’egard to the recent dispute between the Wellington Drivers’ Union, and their employers was filed with Mr A. Stubbs, the Clerk of Awards for tho Wellington Industrial District. All tho terms cf tho award had been agreed to except those relating to wages. These were fixed by the Court, which decided that the minimum wages for competent drivers shall l e for those driving and attending a single horse .£2 7s weekly; for those driving and attending two or more horses =£2 10s; no deduction to be mad© from these weekly wages for time lost through Pad weather, or any other cause save through the workers’ own default; casual labour is to be paid for at the rate of Is per hour, and overtime at the rate of Is 3d per hour, to commence after HR hours’ work for any one day; these hours to include the time required for necessary attendance to” horses. This decision of the Court means that the wages of both classes of drivers are to be increased by 2& per week. The decision is that of the Judge alone. Mr Pryor, who was the employers’ representative at the sitting of tho Court, held that in the circumstances the increase was not justified, Mr McCullough, the employees’ representative, 6n the other hand, held tb* view that the increase should be greater.