DISPUTE AT "WESTPORT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2320, 18 August 1898, Page 55

DISPUTE AT "WESTPORT.

Westport, August 4-. Bpfore <i bench oi justices, in the case of the Denniston Miners' Union v. the Westport Coal Company, an information for breach of an agreement made under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act. the company were fined £5 Is, without, costs. An appeal will be carried to the District Court. The union claimed that " all coal " worked should be " cavilled " for, whereas the section of the mine worked by machines was excluded from cavil. The company's defence was that it was impossible to cavil machines, and that '' all coal " applied only to coal worked by manual labour. Mr Stratford. S.M., refused to hear the case, as he is a shareholder in the "Weslporfc Coal Company,

Three hundred and sixteen candidate 1 ! offered themselves in New South Wples for tho 125 vacant parliamentary seats: 106 were Bavtonites, 110 Raid- Wan tiles, and 100 independent.

The Australian Ironmonger says: — "A pleasant surprise was in store for the employees of Edward Keep and Co., the wellknown ironmongers of Melbourne, who, following the good example of Briscoe and Co., who have done it for some years, on June 13, presented each of their employees who have been in their employ for 12 months only, with a cheque equal to 10 per cent, on their salaries. Some of them had handsome cheques, and from the highest to the lowest they were all equally gratified at the generosity of their employers. AJr Edward Keep handed each recipient a cheque, remarking that the trade done during the last year had been so satisfactory to them that they had determined on tin's method of showing their appreciation of their staff, and thanked each one for the interest shown in the welfare of the firm, saying a few kindly remarks and advice to young and old."