WORK AND WAGES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9911, 28 July 1910, Page 1

WORK AND WAGES.

A TECHNICAL POINT. [Feoji Our Corrbspondbnt.] GREYMOUTH, July 27. Yesterday afternoon a dispute between the Miners' Union and the Grey Yalley Coal Company (the Brunner mine) was set down on the agistrate's cause list for hearing, and Mr A. Crooke, S.M., proceeded to hear it. The matter was the dismissal of two lads from the mine. Mr Heslin appeared for the complainant union and Mr R. Alison for the defendant company.

Mr Alison said that before the proceedings went any further he asked his "Worship to enter a nonsuit, as the complaint was laid under Clause 60 of the Act, which most emphatically laid it down that in all cases of breaches of award the Inspector of Awards must lay the information and conduct the ease. The provision was unmistakably clear, and he based his claim to a nonsuit on it.

Mr Heslin contended that it could not have been the intention of the Legislature in framing the Act to make it compulsory for the Inspector to conduct all cases.

The Magistrate said it frequently happened that the Legislature did not convey through its enactments exactly what it intended them to- be. Tills was a case'in point, in which it was made compulsory that the eases must ho brought by the Inspector of Awards, and, however much ho regretted the unnecessary delay thus caused, he had 110 other course open to him than to grant the nonsuit.

> Air lies]in said he thought the president of the union, who knew all the circumstances, was the right man to bring the cases forward. "" In this instance he had bean authorised by the union to conduot the case, and knew every detail, and if the nonsuit were grunted he would have to instruct the Inspector, who could not be expected to know all the circumstances. The Magistrate said that he had no course open to him but to enter up a nonsuit, though he admitted that it was very unsatisfactory to have to do so. If the union chose, they could appeal against his decision on a point of law to the Supreme' Court, but in the meantime a nonsuit would be recorded.

[Per Press Association.J WESTPOET, July 27. A conference is being held between officials of the Westport Coal Company and representatives of the Granitv and Dennjston Miners' Union, with a view to fixing up a new agreement for working both minca.