WORK AND WAGES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10418, 23 March 1912, Page 8

WORK AND WAGES.

TIMBER WORKERS. PROFESSOR MILLS HOOTED. [i j sr Press Association.! AUCKLAND, March 23. A large meeting el timber workers, held in the Federal Hall for the purpose of discussing tho chums of the Labour Federation and the Mills' unity scheme, ended in a storm of dissension. Mr Scott Bennett advocated tho claims of the Federation and Protocol- Mills his unity scheme. Mr Bennett had a good hearing, but Professor Mills on asserting that the threatened strike was tho result of Labour being divided was assailed with cries of •' Rot," and. the interruptions continuing, he descended from tlio platform. There was a call for tho unionist.? to lenvo the building and an exedus commenced, but a cufi for rnirphy filled the vacant seats, irofessor Mills resumed his are-unbent, and declared that if the unitv proposals had been accepted the present crisis in Auckland would never have arisen. Amicl n chorus of dissent Mr Eraser president of the General Labourers' Union, commenced speaking from the back oi the building. Amid indescribable uproar, Professor Mills on rising, said that the secretary of the timber workers had informed him that the audience was evidently opposed to hearing him further, so' he would cease, llus was a signal for ji wild demonstration and the meeting ended with cheers lor the federation and hooting for Professor Mills.

AX IMPORTANT DECISION. [Per J'RtSS Asjociaiio.n.] . WELLINGTON. March 23. A judgment oi extreme importance to employers and employees throughout the dominion Mas lodccd with the Clerk of Awards, Wollington. to-dav bv the Arbitration Court. Mr Le Cren. Inspector ol Awards, .proceeded ae'ainst the \\ a.rarapa Farmers' Co-operative Association Ltd... for a breach of the Wellington Grocers' Award in working erl hv e t r j,, in <?XCe i S -° f the ti,ne P res «iu° ed by tho award, but not in.excess of the time aid down by section 6 of the Shops and Offices Act. The award expired on April 11. 1911 and the alleged offences began on that date. The Magistrate, Mr M'Arthur, held that „n to he tunc of the expiration of the a 3.5 thJ Tr s " ere in forc ' e > b«t after and Offie b o eCa T (, , n,o 4 iflcd b ? the Sh°P. and Offices Act. l], e action was dis-!,tha'thWa,-Vs made » *° grounas tiiai, the Magistrate v.-a« nmr,,, m deed ng that there was no hS awtd * a d ß J™**- that t£» dwara and Act w Pre inconsistent Tli« SI deS as 8 00S ed - thc Scott, the emn?n - ln law commented S^vVT^^' with the hours of"work\ "K™ and workers are compiled 7 soma eases to observe the honrs p Rented by the award and i„ other prevls ons by the award and in others the rrevision of the Act, a.nd that neither

[Per Press Association' ] Tl i Macrh 23. Ihe drapers' assistants who were inSoei G^ a ; S f \r bra, l Ch in , the Amalgamated Society of Merchants' Assistants' Union have now been registered under the title of the Soft Goods Assistants" Industrial Union of Workers. The new Znerv ndU , deS th 9 em^ ees in the drapery and mercery trades.