NELSON CONCILIATION BOARD.

Colonist, Volume XLIX, Issue 11873, 1 March 1907, Page 2

NELSON CONCILIATION BOARD.

YESTERDAY'S PROCEEDINGS. The sitting of tbe Conciliation Board continued yesterday. Mr Baigent referred to the statement made the previous evening by the President of the Union that an employer had been compelling an employee td sigri a receipt foi' his full wages, when he was only receiving less than the minimum wages prescribed by the award. He said it waa a reflection on all employers, and the President should substantiate the statement. Mr Rout concurred. Mr Ingrani said he could prove it. Mr Johnston said that as the wage book was only open to inspection by the Inspector of Factories, the assuption must have come from that official.

Mr Lukin said the information may have come from the employee himself. The Chairman Baid the employers could call any witness they liked, so long us they could give, evidence bearing directly on the dispute. James Whiting, leading hand for the City Council, stated that grubbing weeds off the roads was very hard and tiring work. For this class of work Council employees were paid lO^jjjdi but his earnings were £2 8s a week. He paid 7s a week rent for a old four-roomed house. He barely existed on this amount, and did not belong to a benefit society. There were five in his family. The Council provided him with gum boots. Ho was paid fortnightly in cash; sometimes he was Kept waiting fifteen minutes for his wages. Although the Council officers commenced paying out at twelpe sharp. By Mr Rout: He did not know what compulsory unconditional preference of employment meant. Mr Rout said he had asked several witnesses this question, and not' one of them appeared to understand^ it. (One of the demands was for compulsory unconditional preference of employyment be given to unionists. ) By Mr Littlejohn : Living was cheaper in the country than in tbe town, but be would sooner live in the town than live in the country and save 18s a week. It would not be possible for men employed by the County Council to receive their wages at the County office within 15 minutes after knock-off time. '■ Alfred Jones, laborer and Secretary of the Nelson Laborers' Union said he was instructed to write to tbe employers oited asking them to attend a conference, and only four out of 110 employers cited attended, although twelve others sent apologies. Mr Rouf proceeded to examine tbe witness, when tbe latter objected, statiag he was there only to reply to Mr Ingram. Tbe Chairman said he must answer auestions. 'Witness, in answer to Mr Rout, said that he paid 16s a week for board, but thought 14s was a fair thing to _ allow employers for an employee's board. He framed the demands—if that would suit the questioner. By Mr Littlejohn: He did not consider himself competent to give an opinion on the demands as a whole. He considered he should be paid sufficient wages to enable him to save a pound a week. The reason, why the Union inoluded the Waimea County -Council in the citation list was because other employers within the ten mile radius were paying Union rates, and they thought they should do the same. He could not state definitely why the Richmond Borough Council and Stoke Road Board had not been cited ; he supposed it was because they had not come under the Union's notice. ; — _