ARBITRATION COURT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14380, 25 November 1908, Page 2

ARBITRATION COURT

OTIRA TUNNEL CASE. (From Our Own Cobbesponpent.) GRRYMfWTH, November 21. The Arbitration Court lias been engaged this week hearing the labour dispute from ' Otira. Ab M'Lean liros. have instituted proceedings against, a Wellington paper ' tor libel alleged to be contained in an i% ; terview with T. J. Mal'lov/ and intend .tatting similar action against journals I published in Cliristchurcli, Dunedin, and llokitika, tlio evidence given at the hearing shouldi prove ofMiiorc than ordinary interest, Murdoch M'Lean, in his evidence, stated that the conditions of the contract were being carried tout to the satisfaction of the .■resident engineer./ Efficient drainage existed in-the tunnel, and it wa6 not necessary for the men to walk up to their knees jn mud and slush, nor even over a man's boot-tops, on enteriii". The workmen's representative proceeded to examine Mr M'Lean on the conditions of contract, but the judge intervened, statin* that the court was called upon to adiudi° cste.ou an application for an increase in wages. '. ■ Tho evidence of the men working at the tunnel'was then,taken, • Henry Bagust stated that tliey had been working for six months in 'very wet ground. If they did not go into the tunnel, with a pair of watertight boots on, their feet would- he wet through in less than an hour, there was a drain cut on one side for about 600 ft, hut beyoiid that it was Water and slush. About three months ago they tried the eight hours' shift for about nine days.'' It continued wet, so they went back to six hours' shifts, which they had been working for the past two months, the men have not been denied orjb time, there were no sanitary arrangements whatever, within the tunnel, which was now driven a length of 16 chains. Sometimes m a change of country the after-fumes from a shot were very but lie had not known personally of anv men having had a fit in consequence of the'gases. The tunnel was lightedi with acetylene, but electric light would be preferable in every way. The huts for the workmen were very roughly built, but were fairly comfortable. There were excellent arrangements made for the men when, they came off work. There were hot and cold baths and shower baths, and hot and cold -water' in the lavatories, patent sanitary appliances, and the temperature was very warm in the drying-rooni for the clothes. A six hours' shift was desirable when in wet country, but where the ground was dry, and the men did not require to wear oil-' skins, eight horn's could be worked. WilliamJWatson, in the course of his testimony, contended! that a man would only be able to work in the tunnel for about six months before he had become a cripple. Li reply to Mr-aPryor,'witness stated that he had not tried to improve the hut -lie lived in. He did not know of anyone having gone to the hospital as the result of six months'' working in the tunnel. / Frederick Duffy said the -water affected the hands considerably, producing gores, William Baxter, a blacksmith, said he was satkfiod with his conditions of employment, aud recognised thajt the M'Lcans were good employers. Tool-sharpeners should get lis Bd, as obtained elsewhere, y Mr Pryor then opened the case for the employers. He desired to again point out that this was a case in which no award was needed. A work.of this magnitude either meant something satisfactory to those who took the risk of completing it or ruin. When M'Lean and Sons undertook the contract there was no award, nor had there Been any specially named conditions of labour. The contractors were bound down under very; hard-and-fast conditions, The time limit was very strict, and the penalties imposed were very heavy for any delay. If an award were now made as applied for, it would mean absolute ruin' to tlio firm, which had not contemplated any such conditions as were now asked for. It was acknowledged that M'Lean Bros, were good employers. Mr Murdoch M'Lean was looked upon as a good boss, and his men had stood to him for years, They had come to Otira in the same way, audi many had worked since the tunnel operations began. There were no complaints for several months, when .another element came in, and it did not come from the men in the tunnel; It was an agitators' dispute, and was got uj by outsiders. On the six hours' shift question Mr Pryor pointed out that this clause was the crux of the whole demand. It really meant that if a six hours' shift were fixed it meant an increase of. the cost of the contract by over £60,000. \ Murdoch'M'Lean said the Reefton mining award was the basis on which they tendered for the contract. The claim*made. now would mean 15 per cent, on £600,000, which was the cost of the labour required, The other provisions, such as salaries and machinery, accounted for) the £200,000 which made up the price of the contract. To grant the concessions' asked for would mean a dead less—in fact, ruin—to the firm. In almost all rock tunnels there was water dripping in more or less quantities, particularly where they were working deep under ground. He had visited several tunnels at Home, and' in all of them water was coming, through. The men worked in eight-hour sfiifts. To pay eight ■hours' wages for six hours' work would mea"n adding about 20 per cent, to the cost of the work." The / increase of the cost, if the demands of; the union were granted, would mean an addition of £60,000, and would mean ruin t<> the 'firm. He had plenty of applications for werk, but could not, employ more" men at present. From liin to' 2in of water was as much as ever ran down the tunnel, in. which there woe. a steep decline of 1 in 33. The men were provided with oilers,-and he knew well that those kept their bodies dry. The ventilation *was in excess of the specifications, wherein 75ft per man was required, but 180 ft was the supply daily. He alleged that the of the explosives was mainly due to negligence. He should prefer to use electric lights in the tunnel, as the power would cost them nothing,, and the wires very little, but the globes wonJdi ho an expensive item, and lie doubted if they would be a. success, Still, they were going to try it. Ho had studied the question of tunnel lighting very closely when on the Continent, and had found the acetylene lamps were very much preferable to any other class of lighting. The health of the men generally was very good 'indeed. There was no illness, and they had never had to call in a dootor for sickness, and onjy once or twice for injury. Speaking of the wet state of the limnel, Mr M'Lean gaid he should be willing to give shifts of six hours if the gangs, when at work, became wet in two horn's or less'; but not in such country as they were working now, which, was not wet country. He objected to being tied) down to employ a unionist. The idea that he expected to make £100,000 through ahandoning the contract was preposterous. John Wood, Government Engineer, said the conditions of the contract were being carried out satisfactorily. Walter Newton, Inspector of the Labour Bureau at Christchurch, stated that he 'inspected a number of the huts, and had seen that in some cases the timber had shrunk, and where cracks had occurred t-lioy had been covered with laths and mado goodi. The sanitary arrangements at the tunnel mouth were excellent. Professor Bickerton said lie had analysed the water, which was exceptionally pure. Dr M'Kay said there had been a number of eeptic cases in this district during May. June, and July of this year. The trouble at Otira was not in his opinion due to the Otira alone, as it was general throughout the district. After lengthy addresses by representatives of both parties, the court reserved ils decision.

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