(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Otago Witness, Issue 2412, 24 May 1900, Page 2

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

WELLINGTON, May 17. The fact that an guinea of practical examination is often worth a bushel of evidence was fully exemplified to-day in connection with the proceedings of the Conciliation Board. The union representatives have told weird tales about the dangers and difficulties connected with the discharging of coal and the laboriousnefs of the work. Mr Young, union representative, has also called witnesses to prove that the work is injurious to health owing to the fact that the ,men get very wet working the coal, and have to breath in the clouds of steam and dust that arise from the coal in the holds of the ships. After listening to such tales as these for about a week the board to-day, at the instigation of Mr Kennedy, local manager of the Union Company, resolved to sec these things for themselves. Accordingly the chairman and his colleagues, along with ihe representatives of the union, the employers, and the press representatives trekked down to the wharf, where the Poherua was discharging her cargo of coal. Here the miseries of the work of winchmen, Imll-rope men, plank men, shovellers, et hoc genus omne, were seen by the boafd, 'but, strange to say, there was no sign of the clor.ds. of steam and du,«t, nor d'd the work appear to be unduly laborious:. Indeed, a man Below was frequently seen.sitting on bis basket enjoying a smoke, while he leisurely shovelled the coal into it sideways. On the whole, the work is no doubt fairly hard, but many a '" young man from the country" held up to f-corn by the lerding union representative before the board, has done harder work on a farm for far less pay without making such a song about it a-> the union delegates have done. O.ie of the union representatives seriously pointed cml that a man's shirt was wet on the back with perspiration, but this only raised an unsympathetic laugh from an employer, who wanted to know if perspiration was not to be permitted in a working j man. i