ARBITRATION COURT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11926, 8 February 1917, Page 6

ARBITRATION COURT.

TO-DAK'S SITTINGS. Tbo Court oi Arbitration resumed iU vin in;.. at t!i<' Provincial Council Chambers tins mornine. Mi' dusHce Strim.on presided. ami with bun \\eie Mr AV. Scott. employer" representative, and Mr W. •!.' A. M'< ullmmh, emploveeC I'cjM'cs'Mi la nve. lfAl UT>R KSsUaRS' Af.l? Ivß-M KST ; In t-he ('lii'isvci'urcii hainli' ( ' vM 'i am! assistant iohaeoomM.-. d)«-p*»to '' complete rccu'iimem!:i! ion was made. I, was. i evolved i,bat. flu* agreement, should ii.* mad'' an a .van! of via- Court CW'IT.RHCIf V Hi! K\V Fi!S AM) MAI/I'STKRS Tlii'' Mali. 1 ! c I'm and Ihaovers I n.oit (Mr \Y. .1, Walk.Ti applied for an amend 111 1 •' > i "! tin*- exiMiit,; uai : u iti U at. liic rat-* <u' an adiitt ional j;er Wei k brni-.}the increased c 1 ' 1 ; i]V " hcin;c a.dtanecd a- a justification f.M- tli" demand. Air I'. < ooper. on behalf iif tin* employers, I. t(l show ih.'li- ! lit* a- K' ddtH' lllorea -• wa.s not wentcd. The Court- reserved Its decision. (il'jX 1011 AI j LA HOIK KRS' 01-MT (10. In the Canterbury Ruild. r-- aie'. (ienera! Labourers, Mnarry v \% «:ri ; -s <"■- and Wool ami Cram Store I'lin-n oi Worker.-,' dUpnte Mr i'-- ■' lio,i.<ro appeared tin' tiie union and Mr .1 . Alaynard ior r.lte employei s. In appl \ i iu( the ease. Jwr the union Mr I Inward said licit, it «a one.*,l ion nt 'v;i.<j.;e> only. Hoi h rh<> ininm ami t.lle »niji!o\era accept cd. 1 in* <"Oiid I V iall< <il ihe ,i i\ ai d in Lil.'i in al! otic r hpeei.*.. The. iniiiui Wiis asking that ih" minini"n. rate. ot naye- in iln,*. imlu--II y should llot. he It*..- lii.a!l I;; I'.'L and in ,-itpporl oi '.lie 'i-maitd he Mi .November, I'Jl.'h l/ie ( oil l' 1 it want'd C ad a.-i a minimum vim.'.-"-'lhec ;n>v, h.-o-d >ia. demand on 1 11 < ■ li* t:i award no; vliat they admitted thai I > .'d p-T hoi.i- ••ii!!i«"i;*nt to brine up a i.eaii' < n in decency, but in'(;:;u-'C- i.hat. was : In•• si andar.i :-ei by Iho {,';>lirt . "I 'er.-u nal i\ . he * a Mi. I do lI.H undei'siand n|i.»ii w lot! i»a.>i- Um (ear: fi v$ the nnnminni uac.;c. it u is hase<! (Ml she I I»■ t oi i- ( iiip, tl»i n *■ " ■diall have no doin. nlly in pr<aia:j tn.it are e(Hli)e ( J Kl tile 111* 1 •■a 01 • a.. jtokiiiff tor. li " e- on tliep.aiilis made dim oi ihe uin'.i'-.t v\. in< n I a>.an .■ i ha.! v, si,ail he iace in lace a • lifliful L". it- is on the of h\"iii;. ami i:ikon; toe stain'arM -ei. |,V ! |,e t "I!|'| in ue lllni lll.al iho purch.a:* Hi", pow of oi ihe Mnomnni a., (•('■nipar.-'il with In* em I .' r. LM", o i-'i '.'; i titefiori a man eanori;; a iuii

' w-ek'- :\ :i;.:;< in 0-' 1., wolia: )um >■ a ' ourohasin:: po\\ or nt L'l I I-'. Id a,, com-Jjim-fj Ml!, Jfcvombcr. 'HO. <J 1 o'-. To h-- Moi.- io j.!!.•.■!,;..-,.■ tl.< .-a;,:.- ~aa;; ;.:.:■- ~| /n.i.i-- a.s ill i'-! I: i :i i ;i» »* »i ir. - r • vn:,i i baYo I" IViVIVr I':', 7:- o>d. in j 011 l demand*. W i fiir only 11' KHi '.' Oo" , |,v 1 i.it j>i■.• iiiiilr. w ii'< ■!i !'ir a full we< u 'hi 'nn v-j,>i;<- in ui:> would ;.':a e ;ii" ■ wurkci ' J;.'< <>.- «'d or 7*. <'", d I- ••- I"-#-lii-i«--• •:•»■ pcwr i-lmn in lido. In ■-pi" l ~| the fact tisn;. the. evueral standard ; nf comfort, for uiln'r workers, s,'..t'-h as ' Ui.- .-killed tradesman she * ; !vd ser : vmii and Mich like. liii.s iiiii>i'nv.'d, yet r ;.,. ~. 1; „. ( ,!>;,;, ;lm -tandaid m -ou,jnn >'oi '-ii.- labourer ha> depn i m.u-d bv I compari-ov For Hi.-( an« . whl-t Hi" ! avoraee tradesman can now vni, ;i 0e!~ •rr !ua,se. or even afford i-> 'ndM f '■" , hilil-01,. will, ho; ami -old wai.n- and ; 0i1,,, r modern conveniences, f he I :i! ,<;ii;•■• ; or i,-. forced M live ill the «(in,i-.;i.iHl : sharks W 111 l 1M onnVflll'Mlrr-:. ;. lid ..-!!.e:i i in i:\-amtai v condU m-n- that '';'■' •''■ l"'' : age- woike,- will imi tolerate. The ..:«m- ---| ~r i, i hd.o-n-r i, a. (•••.Mini worker. He- ; is not iti -.loads- emp !"Vmen!. : - Mr floivuni called M- lua llnwl- , ton. win- slated t-haf- her bnsbaial u:lS a labourer and last, vt-nr earned <■.'< - : 1;",... !lo had i".-i I-' l ' V ' , "' K ' Ho-".':-'" ■ holida-v-, v.cv days and fhromd; gout!-. ! 1,-,,/n ono job mi .-ihdili'T. i j'- y-^^K) \ , v :;....,- was i'L* lor- or .10.-- per nay. I -a-a I v,. ; ; r hj,. wont back ai the ate oi 0- Oil ■> \ \\i-Ai. Ho <-:iM;.ilit np :irir:u's H'- 11 " I vc.'ir io \'i'ni- io- oriA-t irr; \r>_Loiddo:-, ! k.H'pinij; ii I>'a ''is "lid hv a. !o|!o j ovcrt.iiiio (hiring tin.- summiT, w!'d:-.i, ; ovvirm io i.lio luu v.'.-.i,. Duiiiiv; > idio i \i :ir " i; il,nc.-.- ; <'onl innod. li<-r isuslia nd : km! 'saved ilir..;iiih oulfivnUiiL'. tli-i : ./.-..i-ilen JL"» S-., ruid .CI l. r w on <- ; .' ; ;-, ■ vviii'di iioiu. in pr.y <uT .aiTi'iiP--. Irom i ii-' 1 xoar lioior,-. 'Willi the pre-oni, imm-i"-; I 11- per <ia\ wtiiild a --li;.dn marj jrn,, Inn if i-rioi--- oontimiod to ;.,o ujo liic. iiirn'a-o HMuicl wxm •• v. alio u iio : nui.i'oin. ; Aii-< Miuiiio HnM siuud ihi: lu-r | hu.f.and ( >arm\l i'llX) (tiirui;.; vh. [laa 1 ; y,-ar. I!': lost. si'Vi-n uovk-- r!iroiii.di : tvt'.i Wff-itlior. luiiidiuf, and vh;nv,!.my; from joli to jo!,. Ills ut'okly \. :■■>.:■■• niiv ;ui-.ni;.;i-fl .I*7/ l-'s. 'riiot.- ■...■ro : bcv.-u .-hildn-n 1.. provido for. 1 !;" vvocklv oxpon-,.-- fiii;i!lo! .C-'t i 7., '.:! d. Thov It.-i-l mo --ii'den, no low I-,. but, 1 trU'lK-l* iiavo a:.sf,(a!a-- . Tiioy soldo'U i ">lit" (nun--.. i' " -uhi not mvr;i«(- o-- u-iT ;a'.-ir i7:i; :!;. ;u;ii- oi linin. and not hyli a. crown a year tor ino-i-urcs. There swa.-. a. family invir, ;. lather and moflicr and ion i chil<liv;i. who w iumi-s w a.s jiosiinanever Iciieiv what it. was t.o got rhc'ir hiiiiocr cniiiplcti'lv Mtt-iHiicd. could tuuai' a dozen iioines of labourers who were trying t<> iivo on 10, Id a day, w it.li iirokon lime and their h<>m.e,-s ',vi.-ro us jnior a.s n. wa.-. pONvbie U> iina,vino: tho (.hildun never iovi'."'ii enough to eat. Witness had tdiihlrer,. Ton shillings )H.-r ;.dves an average- oi is lid per head. 'I he landlord jjet-s Is 7d per day, which reducos the- amount u> u fraction overlid jw.r dav for food. eiot,liiii;: umi f.e-1. Air ('. Sea toil was ilien called and j£iu'p. txn'rohoratne cvideiice.. Mr .Ma vua I'll. t.ho tuiployi'-rs' 'rcpre-M-niai ivc. state,j tliar he v. a- ,n j)j>eiir--im. l ; on behalf ol the Huik'lers and < 'on-triu'lor-i' Association. 'I he exee> s -,iv»> Cos!, oj binhilll;; Uiaterlais a'.- |>le,-.ol)t. was havnin; a marked effeci. ~n ib(bni'ldine iraO,- 1 with the thai. le; s .s I huiltiiiijr. wit-; v.'.<>;ii!" on now i'moj had been the e,Kse> foi'merly, A*, a eoiiho- ! inieiice tln- builders mid-- (^ontracOir,; | w.'-.c :-Mii'i.-rir.;j, a.-* well u,. ; the workeio. | Tbc piiiiciiial ohjra'M.ioii the employers i had in £'<\ iiij/ the wage, inereaso ,cd<od I for wa i j t-hftti tThey did not wish the increase u> bo a porruaticnt one, a.-, !he j>resenv of affairn would not always lust, and the cost, of living would probably return to normal again. 1 lowever, the. employers would he -wdline; to iirnnt a 10 per cent, innrea.se on vuiges all round. The labour avjiilahlo -ni, present Wits on the whole not a.s good as formerly, imim' of f,ho mor<» efficienf labourers boiue,' away on aeftve service, which mad e matters ware a for tho builder. \V. H. Winaor, ctontrartor, •Spreydon, Asdio guvo (ivideneo on belialf of iho employers, staled that nny inrrea.se in wages was going io be detrimental to the trade, inasmuch as thero were other oontrihuting factors; for one thins, the Chris tell uroh City Council by-law which made, it a mle that street, hoarding must be orne'ted wjien a building was ui ho coniitnictcd meant, an expenditure of anything from £1 U> £240 for tho contractor. Another factor was tho differontial railway rates on timber, which amounted, in the case of imported timber, to one and a half timies fEu* ordinary rate, the cost jnit on to conservo rftir own timhoi's, -which tvero for tbo most part great'ly .inferior to the. j imported article. The price of other commodities had also greatly increased ; glass had gone up 100 per cent, plasterers' goods 20 per cent to 2o per cent, bricks 20 per cent, and plumbers' Roods, in s«ino instances showed over a 1-50 per cent increase. As far as the. workers' demands were ooneeri)<>d, ho could say thai any £ood man had received more wages than- tinaward had provided for. In his otve

c.'isn lio hud given a considerable concession to good, men. It was not right that those not worth au inerea.se should receive it. Mr Howard: Labourers cannot live on tho present rate of wages. Witness: If matters go on in ilio building trado as they have been doing much longer, no labourers would bo wanted. Would it not be better for the men to work a little lungerv Mr Howard: T would not agree, to that. Would you make your horso work longer than was good fo_r himP To increase the hours of work is a serious proposition, as the class of work i,s heavy. It its a struggle for existence Witness: ft, comes out of u-ur pocket. The C'cirt i-eservf>c| its decision, and .uijuuruod viil 10 a.m. to'/uoyoiv.