ARBITRATION COURT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 93, 17 April 1903, Page 2

ARBITRATION COURT

Thursday, April 15. Bafore His Honor Judge Cooper and Messrs S. Brown and R. Slater. New Plymouth Painters' Industrial Union of Workers v. New Plymouth Master Painteis. This was-a case in which the painters wished to sesuie an award regulating the hours of laboui* wages atd o her matters a fleeting their relations wit'i their employers. Mr Rosser, of Auckland, and with him Halford H. Ricb, President, and W. J. Ryan, Secretary of the Union, appeared in support of the application. The following employers were cited: —James Bellringer, Ok*y, Son and Arnnld, Wist and Ssnc, W. R. Proctor, B. Leonard, J. Nash, H. W. Pillar, Boon Bros., and A, A. Pikett. Iu tha application it was asked to mike the award apply to a radius of 15 miles, but His Honor said tbis would include Ing'ewood and Waitara and as the paintei s there had not been cited the award muss be confined to New Piyrnou'h and suburb?. Mr Rosser, in opening his case, said the parties had gone before the Conciliation Board and had met a rebuff which, he ventured to say, no other union in the colony had met with. The Board bad decided that the was not properly before the Bard because no conference had been held and instead of ordering a confidence had dismissed the application, giving the Union a blow that it hardly recovered from. It had ncv, however, come before the Court. As regards the question of a dispute the claims of the men | I had been sent to the employers and j only two of them bad replied so that there was iuo doubt about there being a dispute. He called Thimas Sole, who stated that he' worked for Okey, S>n and Arnold.! j Have been 14 years with my present j employers; have seen tha demands-and, consider them fair and reasonable. Consider a rise of wages necessary be-1 I cause of the broken time. My employers employ no boy labour. I have a f-tmily ; hive not had much lost time of late ; lived 52 years in New Plymouth and find living has inci eased very considerably all round. My wages are paid by cheque, bu 1 ; prefer cash. Do not know if the incompetent labour trouble is bad here. By Mr F. Bellringer: Cannot say what lost time have had during the last twelve mon'hs. Had not had much. Thought | of an hour would be best for dinner, but did not think half an hour unreasonable, Thought it unreasonable to expect payment weekly when in the country. Consider the master man should be the judge of a man's competency, Consider Union men should have preference. Pointers hive usually been paid Is per day less than catpenters. Dj not consider there has been any marked rise during thy past two yews. Was not safefisd with pres nt position or wages, and all requests have not been met in a reasonable and honourable mannoK P.interd kit of tools i-s not so costly as carpenters. To Mr Okey : Have worked for less than 8s p r -r day. Used to pay my way theu Fmd it uo etsier topiy my vr\y now. Would find it easier if I got 12 j Do not cmsider painters should be piid 3s a day more than ca'panters, but did not know what carpenters were paid. Consider apprentices should get 8s a week, 5s a week is not enough. There is difficulty in c ashing a cheque. His Honor said the Court all wages should be paid in cash ; if a man liked he could demand cash. There wis no me for the Court to interfere, as the law provided for it. Mr Oiey said if the men had asked for cash they could have it. Mr Brown siid • he could not understand this cheque system, He hid bsen iu (he habio of paying 400 man iu cash. In reexamination witness said he understood the carpenters were asking Is 4d per hour. J. W. Ryan : Worked for Mr Pikett. Wbs secretary to the Union. Sent a copy of th« demands, Asked them to consider it. Got two replies only— From Bellring.ir and Okey, So!', and Arnold. They said they and their men were on the best of terms. By Mr F. Bellringer: About 35 men were in the Union. Been eleven years in the trade. Have not lost any time here. Consider panting a good trade, and would not exchange it for any other. Do not consider half-an-hour for dinner enough; think it should be one hour. Prefer the system of payment per hour, The present custom of allowing half-an-hour to go to the shop for wages very fair. Two years ago got Is Id an hour in Auckland, Cocsidered 9s a day a fair rate, and am satisfied, but think the minimum should, be Is 2d per hour to pay for less of time. The cost of liviug is the same to me as two years ago. Got only 8s i then. Think the demand regarding apprentices fair. Thought it best to have an award and the wages fixed. Halford H. Ricb, President of ths UnioD, said he was employed by J. Bellringer. Received 10s per day. Hud bsen fourteen years at the trade. Had a family of five children. LiviDg was dearer he e than ir. oth r placc-s. Paid iOs a week for 4-ro >med house. To Mr F. Bellringer: W»s quite satisfied. Had not lost any time. Hud been in business for himi-elf, bu' lnd given it up. Thought 10s a day a fai; thing, but all should get that. Had no grievance, but thought the trade would be benefited by an award bting m ide. Arthur Lovpgrove, pain to-, staged that he worked for Okey, Son & Arnold. Got 9s a day for 4 days a we k. Worked for the firm two years. Had four of a [family. Living is dearer thau in Auck- [ land. Was indentured, and thought it j best for boys. Considered the demands fair and reasonable. By Mr F. Bellringer : Climatic conditions are in favour of Auckland. Was not aware Auckland pefei'ied | Now Plymouth. Was getting 83 a liuy whun I fitst came. W, A. Apted stated that he worked for Bellrit g.;r v ßioi. Came from the 1 Wist Coast. Got 10i a day. Prefer to [ be paid in cash. Leave work at 1 o'clock on Saturday. Consid°r the demands fair and reasonable. Contribution to the Union is 3d per week rnd 3s entrance fee.

By Mr F. Bellringer: Pay about th» same rent. Have complained about a member of the Union on more tlinn ono occasion. Wovild rather work in town than in the country, but the farmers have always troatvd us w-11. L>ift Wellington because I was only getting about threrj days a w*ek, Am quite satisfied in New Plymouth. Y.u feel inore fit for work in the afternoon if you have an hour for dinner, Git 8i a wo k when I was an apprentice. In re-examination witness said he got 7s 6d a week when he was an ap prentice.

James Edward Way stated that he was employed by Mr Bellringer. Got 9s a day and was a married man with

four children. The cost of liviog is more now than two years ago; bad to be satisfied with the present wage, but consider wages should be raised. By Mr F. Bellrioger: Would not be isurprised if a liet tf pi ices was put in showing many things wfre cheaper now than two years ago, bu'; meat is dea>er. Consider the present wages fair, but should lika a shilling more ; would take 5a more if I could get it. Worked f»r yo .r firm 17 ye.r<; al vays teen wall treated and have n > cause of c mp'ait The Court he;e adjourned for lulcli.

The Court reoumcd at 2 p.m. W. J. Ryan was recilled and put in two letters rteuved from Messrs Bellringer and Okay, v on and Arnold. By Mr Pkett: R member you referring to the letter you had fr m the Union and I agreed I had no ciuso for complaint myself, but- thought it butt3r to have the late settled by the Court. All the time I have lost while with you has bean on my own account'. A. Olealind stated be w-ts working on shares; started in March, 1879. There had always been a difficulty in getting fully qutlifi d men here; the iinprovi-rs were the curat) of the trade in New Plymouth. The best men gravitate to where the best) wages are paid. Was bound as an apprentice to i Mr James B llringer for five years, sorting at 7s, 10j, 12* 61, 15s and .£1 | Is ; the las'; year he considered 21s was l noj enough; was lately employing a | man at. a day. ! By Mr F. B 11-inge?: Am manager | for my wife, M. Ciealand. i Mr Bsllriuger said he should apply j to tha Court, to have this firm included in the award.

Mr Ciealand said he was quite agreeable.

Cross-examination continued: Had difficulty in getting men ; ihere was no reasoD why men would not work for him ; ha discharged them for incompetency. Gould get his dinner in less than half-an-hour. Paid bis men at the house aud on the job in cash. | The cost of livir'g had gone up considerably.

Mr Roseer said that was his case. Mr Ballringer opened ihe caee for the masters, and called G. Cliff, contractor, carrying on business as a builder in New Flymouth. Painters getting Is a day less than carpenters are as well off. Do not think the cost of litfng has risen 6b a week the last two yeirs. The carpenter has to keep his tools at his own cost. Ctansid'T the up-keep would be Is, then there is the first cost and renewals to consider.

Joseph Tong, builder and contractor, said it is usuit to pay Is a day more to carpenters than painters. Thought 6* a week a fair set off against the rise iu the cost ofliving. Mr Pikett addressed the Court, and s<id mos 1 , of his work as a builder was amongst the working classes, and the cost of erection would be increased in proportion to the rise of wages, There wi:s a point beyond which it was not safe to go. Considering ev&rytbiog, be thought the painters should be satisfied with Is a day less than carpenters. Thought Is 2d an hour a fair ra'e to pay. Mr Wtst considered ss, 10s, 15', 20s and 25s a fair race to pay apprentices, tie (Contended that country and suburban work shou'd be considered very carefully. The Court said they would put the painters on the samj footing as carpentets.

Mr Bdllringer then addressed the Oourt on tin q les im of the dinner hour, and the question of payment of j wages weekly or fortnightly. Con-i sidoreJ 5 1, 7s 6d, IQ.», 17s 6d, and Xl' for apprentices fair. Since rise in ccst of living thay bad raised the wages Is a day, and he thought Is 21 an hour a fair thing. Mr Bellringer put in Mr Hoily's p-ice list of this date and of 18 months back, to show prices had not risen in mmy lines. He briefly went through the evidence of the witnesses to sh) w that there was no dissatisfaction, but that the mc-n would take all they could gat and more. Mr Rosset followed, andarguei that the increasa of wages did not come out of the employer's pocket, but ou* of the public. He ridiculed the idea that tee Id per hour they asked for was going no be a burden to those « ho were about to build. He was very sarcastic regarding the price lists put in, and said Mr Healey's was the most cutting house in town.

Mr Bellricger: He's the man that does the business. Mr Rosser said the Unionists did not believe in cutting, their motto was "Live and let live." Bis Honor said the award would be made on Saturday morning. The application regarding tLe Kgmont Buot Factory and the printing rases will be taken at 10 o'clock this morning.