ARBITRATION COURT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15764, 15 May 1913, Page 3

ARBITRATION COURT.

SITTING IN DUNEDIN. The Arbitration Court (Mr Justice Sim, president; Mr W. Scott, employers' representative; and Mr J, A. M'Cullough, workers' representative) held a silting in Dunedin yesterday morning. GOLD-MINERS' AWARD. Application by the Otago and .Southland Goid-ininers' Industrial Union of Workers to add 39 parties to the Gold-miners' Award (re drdgemen). Mr W. Belcher supported tine application. His Honor asked Mr Belcher it any of the parties had given notice of objection. Mr Belcher ropiicd in the negative. The order was made. OPERATIVE TAILORS AND SHOP XAILORESSES. This case was before the court last week, and was udjourncd to allow the parties to confer. Mr T. Jenkins appeared for the Masters' Union, and Mr It. C. Wiisou for the Operative Union. ilis Honor asked if the patties had come to an agreement. Mr Wilson said a conference was held on Monday, wiiien it was agreed to accept the amendment to clause 20 as suggested by Mr Pryor, which read as follows: ''Provided that nothing in this clause shall prevent an alteration being made to any garment after completion, whether made by chart measure or. otherwise." It was the intention of the master tailors and the union to tpproach Parliament with a view to amending the law in order to give greater protection to the legitimate tailoring trade, • to' the public, and to the operatives. Tho public had a right to understand that made-to-meaiure suits were not cut °r made by tailors, but were made in factories under the factory system. He desired to express the appreciation of the union of the way in which tho master tailors had always met the union. He trusted tho pleasant relations would long continue. Hi 6 Honor: We are glad to hear the relatione are so friendly. A COMPENSATION CASE. Motion under the Workers' Compensation Act directing payment of money to the 6ole dependent. This was a matter arising out of the death of David Mitchell, who died as the result of injuries sustained through falling from a soap still at M'Leod Bros', works at Dunedin. The sole dependent was the daughter. Ann Malcolm Mitchell, who applied that all money payable as compensation be paid to her for her own absolute use and benefit. Mr Soantlebury, who supported the motion, said that M'Leod Bros, admitted liability, and there was no dispute as to the amount of compensation payable, which would be £468. There was no reason to question that tho -applicant should receive the money for her own use. His Honor made an order in terms of tho motion, and fixed-the costs of the motion at £3 3s, to be paid by the applicant out of the fund. FARRIERS' AWARD. Tho Dunedin and Suburban Farriers' Award has been filed. It is dated the 14th inst., and comes into force on the 19th inst., and remains in force for two years. The memorandum attached to the award states: This award is based on the recommendation of the Council of Conciliation which the employers of Dunedin agreed to accept. The employers in Invercargill refused to accept the recommendation. It was agreed that they should be struck out, and that the court should limit the operation of tho award to a specified area. This has been made the area.within a radius of 20 miles from the Chief Post Offioe, Dunedin.

' METALWORKERS* AWARD. The Otago Metal-workers' Assistants' Award is dated the 13th inst, and operates from tho 19th inst., and remains in foroo for one year. The award is based for the most part on the recommendation of the Council of Conciliation. The principal alterations are that a more complete preference clause ihas been inserted, and also a clause as to existing contrac.s. The principal question to be settled at tho hearing was whether the Otago Iron Rolling Mills Co. should be joined as a party to tho award. In view of the nature of that company's business the court has decided not to make it a party to tho award. DOMINION TAILORESSES' AWARD. The court has made an order adding four parties to the Dominion Tailoressos' Award in the ordinary way. The order further joins A. L. Blackie. J. R. Blackie, and A. Woodhouse as parties, subject to the following conditions: (a) They shall pay to the workers employed by them in making ladies' tweed costumes manufactured for the wholesale trade not Ices than tho wages mentioned in clauses 4 and 7 for a week of 45 hours; (b) they are cxemoted from the other provisions of the award. FURNITURE TRADES. A judgment in interpretation of the Furniture Trades' Award has also been filed. The questions for the court to decide were: (1) Can cramping table-tops mid tho like, when done in a cramping machine, be classed as labourer's work, and be paid at Is an hour; (2) can labourers bo employed on n sandpapering drum machine for dressing mat-tress-frames, or on other small sand-papering machines? The answer is as follows: Both the questions relate to work done in the factory of Necs and Sons (Ltd.), and the parties were heard on the subject at the recent sitting of the court at Dunedin. So far as the "first question is concerned it appears from the evidence of Mr B. H. Noes that (he joints are all made by machinery ar.d are 'then cramped liv a labourer, who uses for this purpose onlv a hand-cramp. This, we think, is not necessarily the work of a machinist, and may be done by a lahourcr. The sand-papering drum is a machine, and althmisrh the workreferred to .in the question dors (not involve the exercise of much skill it is the work of a machinist, and cannot he done by a labourer unless he is iiaid the wages fixed by tho award for a machinist. _ The minimum wants to bo paid to journeymen cabinetmakers, upholsterers, chair and frame-makers, machinists, wood carvers, turners, and polishers shall be Is <Ud ner hour, and timber stackers and other labourers Is per hour. PAINTERS' AWARD. The Inspector of Awards, Dunedin, applied for an interpretation of clause 2' of tho Painters' Award—namely, n journeyman working at any branch of the trade shall ho paid not less than Is 4id per hour; and the question was asked: Is glazing included as a branch of the painting trade? The answer of the court is as follows: In in the past dazing has not been treated as coming within the scope of the painting trade award then _ it ought not to be treated as coming within the scope of the present award. If the parties are not agreed as to the practice in the past, proceedings should be taken for a breach of the award, so that it may be settled in the Magistrate's Court, . If the statement made by tho employers as to what took place before the Conciliation Council in connection with this matter is correct, then the union appears to be guilty of a breach of faith by making the claim now made by if, to have glazing treated as coming within the scope of the award.