THRESHING MILLS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19373, 23 December 1932, Page 13

THRESHING MILLS

NORTH CANTERBURY AWARD. An application to have the industrial agreement entered into with the Canterbury Workers’ Union declared an award, was made by the North Canterbury Threshing Mill Owners’ Association in the Arbitration Court in Christchurch. His Honour Mr Justice Frazer presided and with him were Messrs W. Cecil Prime (employers’ representative) and A. L. Monteith (workers’ representative). The agreement was entered into on August 31 last, and the grounds for the application were that the agreement was binding on the majority of the employers who employed a majority of the workers in the industry to which it related in the industrial district in which it was made, and was not against the public good or in excess of the jurisdiction of the Court. Mr H. Tallott represented the association and Mr C. Baldwin the union. Mr Tallott objected to the agreement being made into an award until some interpretation was obtained. His Honour pointed out that an agreement could not be amended until it was made an award. Once it was made an award it could only be amended by the consent of the parties. Mr Tallott said that in the past the owners had never paid for travelling time, and it was not the intention to do so now. It had been agreed to pay for shifting time on the farm. Surprise that at this late stage the threshing mill owners wanted the matter all over again, was expressed by Mr Baldwin. He contended that the shifting clause should apply as written, signed and agreed to. The Court made an order converting the agreement into an award, and promised to give an interpretation of the point raised when it had time to consider it.