THE PENALTIES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7702, 11 May 1903, Page 2

THE PENALTIES.

In regard to the chaise -gains. PhHlipt of a breach of an award, heard laat wee*^ •his Honor saidl that the Court would nod be able to give its decision just yet^ aa the •note-book of ..the previous President ol tht Court was' desired, but had not been ob» tamed.' ' „^ -lis Honor then dealt with* the -h'turgei against a num'bep o_ 'butchers in regard ta. ' employing men on Good (Friday and fithow Day. A similar awar_ was in force im Wellington and Dunedin, and 2 so far as the . CouTt waa aware, there wasf no difficulty) in tuose .places in giving a complete holiday om Good Friday. Show Day waa in the same position. The Court considteredihai there had been a 'breach of the award 'byi the. (Christchurcbi Meat . Company, James : Knight, J«tne pad' Sons^ and Langdon iand , Steel is -efcirence te tihe "holiday on Gpod Friday, 1902 and 3903» *nd Sho.w pay, 1902, and by J. Forrester in reference to Show Day, 1902. There, was another charge against the 'Company and Lane and . Son anAKnight for employing men for mote than tne fixed number of hours in Labour Day week. There had also "been a breach in' that • case; but it was noi> a very serious onife. ; '-Four charges had been- sustain--aj^in-t'tne Company, and t__ J, _f_ur_ (r c__* ' sidered that ifc would "be sufficient to order

j the Company to pay £3 altogether. Three j charges had been sustained against Knight, ! and he would be ordered to pay 40s, ancl ; the same prder would 'be made against Lane and Son and Langdon and Steel. As only one charge had been (sustained against) Forrester, namely, not giving a complete holiday on Show iDay, 1902, he would _a ordered to pay £1. There hadi _e_a fourteen charges sustained and nine withdrawal or dSsmi-sed. That left a balance of five» and the Court considered tihat seven_g_inea_ costs should cover tfro lot. Perhaps the parties could agree upon the proportions. . Mr Russell, for the employers, and Mr Kippenberger, for the Union, urged thaM the Court should fix the proportion, andf his Honor agreed tft prepare a, schedule. Other butchers, for employing men -tors than the fixed hours on Labour Day week: were dsalfc with as follows:— Tutton andl Grimmer, fined £1 and costs ; Mann, lined £1 and costs. A similar charge ■gains* W. Harris was dismissed. *

CHARGE AGAINST MAINE BROS

Maine Bros, were charged' with having committed a breach of an aw.ard by wrongly] employing a non-Unionist. .-'. Mr Kippenberger appeared for tbe Bootmakers' Union. For the Union, Leon Price, a clicker, said that he bad been working for the firm in December last. He had been offered overtime at the ordinary, wage* Witness refused to take it, saying that the Arbitration Court would not allow him te do so. One of the firm used strong language jta him, and said that witness Knew too much about the Arbitration Court. Shortly after that witness received < notice of dismissal. The foreman had not found fault with bis work. He bad never been dismissed fop

any fault in his work, though he had been employed by other firms. _ So far as witness knew, tbe man who' took his place; and who came on a few days after witness received notice, and before he left, was m non-Unionist. Witness considered himself a better clicker than the man taken in hia place. To Mr W. Maine : While serving in ths shop on Saturday, he was paid twne and a 1 quarter. W. Davlow, vice-president of the Bootmakers' Union, gave evidence as to Price's ability as a worker, and said that there was no need whatever to employ a non-Unioa . hand at the time Price was dismissed. j Mr W. Maine said that the employment ; of the non-Unionist was an oversight, and he was not employed on account of being a non-Unionist. .Price was dismissed 'because he was late at work, The ponUnionist wasadvised to join the Union at oxxoe by tbe firm, and did so. He bad been employed by the firm for 1 months before he joined the Union." V His Honor said that there had been a breach. The clause in the award had special significance, as it had been inserted ah the request of the employer^, who- desired that all men employed should be Unionists. The clause was very precise.'/ The defendants knew that they were employing a non-Unionist. There was no suggestion that he was a better man than Price. A«^ however, he had joined the Union, a pea» alty of 20s would meet the ease, defendants to pay costs. * CHARGE AGAINST A BUILDER. C. H, Cox, a builder, waa also oharged with a breach of an award, by wrongly disnvissing a Unionist. Mr Leatbam appeared for the Union. H. M Leatbaira, president of the complainant Union, gave evidence in regard to bis dismissal. - • h- v '•.. ''"_—■• Humpbrey also gave .evidence "for" 'the Union, , saying that he -_ad*al«o been discharged, while three non^U-ion men were kept on. .'";■''■" The Court imposed a penalty of 20s and costs, as the defendant acted in ignorance. ___E G__RD_JNBRS' DISPUTE, " An agreement come tooit a, conference' ol representatives of the Gardenere* ; tjaioa, and employers .was handed in. His* Honor f said that the Court, would consider the and would flelitif

its decision in regard to wages, upon which an agreement had not been arrived at.