CONCILIATION BOARD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11198, 22 August 1898, Page 4

CONCILIATION BOARD.

DISPUTE IN THE FURNITURE TRADE. j A meeting of, the Conciliation Board was held at the Supreme Court on Saturday, when there were present—Messrs W. A. Sim (chairman), R. Ferguson, G. L. Sisei and G. P. Farpuhar. : The Chairman inquired -whether the parities to the furniture trades dispute had agreed to accept the recommendations of the board. j; Mr Hood replied that the union accepted : \ the decision, ; and. lie ; ,was authorised to sign the agreement. ' • | The Chairman believed that there had been ,' some misunderstanding about the allowance i for machinery in regard to chairmaking. The i chairmakers' log was not before the board at ' the last sitting, but the copy they had before i them showed 10 per cent, reduction, and the. I board took, it that that was agreed to. He understood, however, that the point had since been discussed. Was it correct that an arrangement had been come to for a 20 per cent, allowance? ' ■ Mr Sise understood that at the conference it was put back to 20 per cent. Mr Hood replied that he had heard no reason against the 10 per cent. ... Mr Chisholm said that the chairmakers' log • was discussed at the conference, and an under- v standing had been arrived at that it should j be 20 per cent. . ■ ) The Chairman observed .that if that was the only point in dispute there should be no difficulty in coming to a settlement. Subject to > that, were the employers''willing to settle? I Mr Chisholm replied that subject to the I maximum allowance for machinery on chair work being altered, as arranged, to 20 per cent, he was pleased to say that the employers at a meeting held on Thursday night j had unanimously agreed.to accept the board's '

recommendations; and they; also agreed, ths>.t the employers represented by' the^asjsbeiaiion . should ; <sign the, agreement, 'Conditibhairy, cl GoUrse^'on1 all the emglpyerasigning. ~ :) .,.,- The Chairman: ;All" who are parties to ttie reference. _..■' ._ ~., •■, . ■.. Mr ChisHolm' pointed out that that intro-* diicod another matter. The employers' thought" that not only the parties to'the reference but all parties, should, sign. There wfere,several masters whose, names were) not on the ieferencej and he was prepared to submit three names that: might go, on. .: . . .■. : TKb Ohairman did'npt.know^t^at;that couW be'clbne'tvV'bhei prese'n.t'stpge..;"'I.'''^.. >„-.,;■:.. ■~. '■ 'Mr■ Ferguson:". The MdSi'standiijg^pan ; be that' either they come intp), line or. ~the ,unibn bring them before the bourti'/ '' Mr Chisholm said that the employers he • represented did not wish to show factious I opposition. They were perfectly willing to sign, and as an evidenced of that he would. suggest that when the log and agreement .were prepared, t]ie difficulty which Mr, Hood had anticipated could be overcome by the delegates signing firec, . | The Chairman remarked they had better j first settle the chair' question. What did Mr I Hood say? :t) Mr Hood replied that the question raised was - governed. by the conditions of employment in exhibit B. , Hand-sawing was included in that price, and beyond that there was very little machinery in chair work.' If chair work were done in quantity the union would not object to ,20 per cent, reduction for machinery, but it was. given out in small quantities, and 10 per cent, reduction was enough It was rarely that more than one suite was made at a time to the same pattern..; He would, however; agree to the 20 por cent, where there were three ; or, mpre of the one sort. ." .■■■•■.' ■Mr Chisholm said that the employers could not agree tp that.. .' ' . IMr Marlow stated that the employers were [unanimously of • opinion that any change \ should be in the direction of more allowance \ for machinery on chair work. He had not ■ i had any chair work done by piece during the •! past year because his machinery was of more ! value than had been allowed by the log. >Mr Hood said that'Mr Marlow had not a j ch'airmaker,. mi his • employ, and if he put I-oabinetoakers. tp : chair work he must not ex-ij PpeVt too much'from, thorn. He (Mr Hood) j | regretted that this matter had been brought: ! up, but thought the employers should agree !to the 20 per cent, unless three were given j out. ■ ' • jMr Marlow denied the statement that ,he I had not a chairmaker in his employ. Mr Farquhar: Though 20 per cent: ia the maximum for cabinetmakers, it does not follow that that is always-charged. !Mr Hood: The tendency is to take full adj vantage of the machinery clauses. Mr Ohisholm said that Mr Hood was mak- ■ ing more of this matter than (lie would if he | j employed chairmakers. Scoullar .and Ohis- j ' holm had two chairmakers, and even with the deduction of 20 per cent, a fair workman had nc difficulty in making 10.3 a, day. Surely, in the face of that, if the union desired to be equitable, they would see that what the emI ployers asked for was fair. Mi Hood: Ido not think you can accuse ; t'.ie union of wishing to do anything unreason- I I able. This, however, is a matter not worth ! I fighting about, and I Bhould never dream of I doing so. I think the- employers ought to ! make some concessions; Ditt if they will not | the union will give Way in regard to this 10 I per cent. IMr Chisholm said that-that being so the employers accepted the board's recommendation, and would like to express their satisfaction with the careful manner in which the board had gone into the dispute. The only remaining point was as to the persons who were concerned and yet stood outside the order of reference. j. Mr Hood inquired- whether the persons referred to were 'members of the union, because if so they would be practically in the same position as the workmen..' ~ I The Chairman understood the position to bethat some of the men were in business on thbir ' own account, and remained members of the .' union. If so, they should be got to sign the ! agreement. iMr Hood: Yes, we would bring them under ', the agreement the moment they left the union. IMr Chisholm said that two men who held • high office in the union a little more than 12 months ago, and were now employers, seemed ito adhere to no hours whatever.. Passing their places, one could find them working at all sorts of times. It would be manifestly unfair to the employers who were bound to certain hours and certain wages that others should be allowed to do as they liked. Mr Farquhar: Do.they employ men? Mr Chisholm: It is simply the exigency of i the case if they do not employ labour. If they had the work they would.jMr Hood admitted, that these men ought - s Ito be controlled, but the difficulty was to • interfere with a man if he simply worked by ' himself. IMr Chisholm: Cannot we do it by legisla- -. | tioh? •■■■■■■ \

Mr Hood: Yes, if you will assist us in carrying anTEight Hours Bill. Mr Chisholm believed lie was voicing the opinions of the employers in saying they v ould be pleased to see this sort of thing piit a stop to. Mr Hood said that the two men he understood to be referred to were not in the union. The Chairman said that Mr Chisholm had mentioned three names. Who were they? Mr Chisholm replied that he had the honour of naming Mr Hood as one of them. Mr Hood: I am quite agreeable. . Mr Chisholm said that Crosswell and Smeatoh were another firm. Mr ButterfieJd: They are willing to sign. Mr Marlow: Then there is Hughes. The Chairman said it would be better to have an industrial agreement. Mr Hood could prepare it and submit it to the Employers' Association for signature. If all signed there would be no need to meet again; but if some stuck out the board could be •asked—— Mr Hood: To meet again. The. Chan-man: And you can lake the matter to the Court of Arbitration. In reply to Mr Chisholm the Chairman said it understood that the new arrangements did not come into operation until all who were parties to the reference had signed. The board then adjourned until Saturday, the 3rd September, at 10 a.m. S 1 DISPUTE.', ' A references of an industrial dispute between .the. Otago Coal Miners',. Union and the Kaitarigata.. Railway, and' Cpal* Company lias been filed with the clerk of awards, who has fixed the 3rd of September, at 10 o'clock, for a meeting of the board. The dispute, however, will not be heard on that date, but will be adjourned to some date, to suit the convenience of the board and the parties, to the dispute. The order of reference is as follows : ■— . 1. Cavilling under the following rules:—(a) Headings, levels, and dips to be, cavilled for specially, (b) Names of those thrown out. to be put in the general cavil., (c) In case of blanks in the general cavil, those, drawing them to cavil for the first'places to start or 'which may have become vacant, (d) Unsuccessful cavillers for special pla-ces (if desirous) shall cavil for« the. first 'special places to start or which may have become vacant, (c) One man to cavil for his place out of two or more places in the same manner as two or more men would cavil for one placo., 2. Headings to be paid for at the rate of 4s per ton and 9s per yard when worked by one shift, and 4s per ton and 12s per yard for two shifts. 3. Levels, 4s per ton and 5s per yard. If double-shifted the yardage price to be increased to 7s. ■■■■:■ 4. Dips.—Price to be arranged, between the mine manager and the union committee. 5. Bords 14ft wide, 4s per ton. Threepence per ton to be paid extra for each 2ft or part of 2ft reduction iv width down to 6ft. 6. Stentons 12ft or more in width, 4s per ton and 6s per yard. Narrow stentons,. not less than 6ft in width, 4s per ton and 9s per yard. , ,'•.-,. ' 'jl'.' Pillars.—lf split . to' the rise; 'stenton prices' tb"be'l pa'id1, J5_ cif split-on the plane','b'ord prices;;, if'w6rKed!'by'::lifts''di- i:strips, 3si'6d'per"ton!';";if ..lift* or istripl. isiJless:- th'sin :6ft in ' width-)• shift wages'to--be'-paid:.;f'::: ;-■ *';'■••■ ■■■ ;'-' ■'-'/ '•-■ :; ■' '-' . B::Shift wages to-be'lOs.:-!;- v': :-:r .■■-:■.•; - , 9. When miners are employed at.shift wages the truckers attending them to be paid,Bs per day, and in cases whore miners have to leave the face to truck shift wages shall be paid them.- , '•■.'. : '10.- Deficient Places.—All places driven through faults, or .alongside faults, or in soft fail! ty | coal, or le3S than 6ft wide, or.^ft 6in in height, ;and extremely hard places to be paid shift, wages. 11. Wet places and places wherein the air-is foul to be paid shift wages for six hour- Bbifts. 12. Shift wages to be paid for brushing headings.. . . _ ' . -,": . ■ " . 13. Shift wages to bo paid-where accumulations "of dross have to be filled. • 14; Head coal to be paid for at the rate of 3s. Gd per ton, providing there is not less than 6ft of.a carry, 4s per ton where the carry is .from 6ft' 'to. 3ft, less than 3ft shift wages. £1 t<rbe'"paid 'for opening up head coal to get .a workable carry. . •.'-...' * . ■■ : 15. Coal to be weighed. », 16. That the company supply help on the heading roads, so that the men at the face need not come out to help jjhe trucker. 17., One shilling "per shift extra to.be/paid to each man when working with safety lamps/ ; 18. One shilling per shift to be paid,to each man. for nightwork. 19.''The' practice of putting shift men to fill 903,1 .that has' been prepared by the pieceworkers to bb abolished. 20. That no coal be worked on shift wages in levels, headings, bords, or any other workings in the-mine,where piece rates'have been fixed. 23: Special arrangement to be made between the 'manager1, and-'the vnhiou committee"'with regard'to'price in places where'more than two m^n are' employed Oh one'shift.' ■-' '•'•" • 22."A1l preparatory work that will interfere with the; mirier during the ordinary working hours to be -done on off days or night time. 23. Hours underground to be eight per shift. 24. Boxes to be regulated throughout the mine. 25. Every Saturday to be a half-holiday. 26; Thei horn to be blown at 7 o'clock on the evening previous to-an idle'day. ■';:" '■'■ 27. Workmen' suspended'at present to resiime work.";I.- :■:.■'< ;;'.:■.' ■■;*■":- .;■■■■•, ■•■-:• .;w.'ws •'■ 28. Union' "men; to have "'preference .of emploJ'roeHt. -!:;' .'■'•' '^: -~':: .:■",■'■'■'■ '■' '•;■' •"'■"-'■ —''' ? 20.; No-fresa'Hands'to'be taken ■on until-'full employment is given to "the. employees. ' .•'••' . ' 30. Timber.—6ft sets, 2s ;■:from 6ft to Bft,'-2s 6d; Bft to 10ft, 3s 3d; 10ft to 12ft, 4s 6d. .31. If.'a workman be taken back along the roEjld to: set timber, shift wages to be paid him. 32. TEe company to ■ cut all timber to the length'/requifed and send it into the face.