H.-ll

XLV

Dunedin.

Furniture Trades' Dispute (to go before the Conciliation Board). —The union filed the following references :— That the minimum wages for cabinetmakers, chairmakers, and upholsterers be 9s. a day ; French-polishers, 8s a day ; all prices in exhibits A, B, and C to be paid for piecework. Twenty per cent, to be the maximum deduoted for machine-work on cabinetmakers , log ; 10 per cent, on chairmakers' log. Overtime between the hours of 5.30 p.m. and 8 p.m.: Time and a quarter to be paid up to 8 p.m., and time and a half from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. The employer shall notify the men whether they are on piece- or day-work before starting their job. Men to have the option of working by the piece. Unionists to have the preference of employment over non-unionists. Cabinetmakers employed at ohair-work to be paid the same as chairmakers. Special lines not mentioned in the logs to be settled by a conference of four delegates nominated by the union and four chosen by the employers, and an umpire ; any disputes to be settled by the umpire appointed. Only two classes of labour shall be recognised—viz., apprentices and journeymen. Apprentices' wages to be ss. per week for the first year, and an advance of ss. per week at the commencement of each subsequent year. The proportion of apprentices to be one to every three men or fraction of three. For the purpose of determining the proportion of apprentices to journeymen the given number of men must have been employed in any shop or factory for the previous six months equal to two-thirds full time. This clause to be binding for five years. The employers and the union were before the Conciliation Board early in 1897, and an agreement was drawn up in March of 1897, under which the men have been since working. By that agreement the wage for cabinetmakers, framemakers, polishers, and upholsterers was fixed at Bs. per day.

August, 1898. Wellington. Bakers' Dispute (before the Conciliation Board). —This is an alleged breach of the agreement of February, 1898 (see annual report, page xxix.), the masters having informed the union " that when and where necessary they intend to commence work during four months—viz., May, June, July, and August —at 3 a.m., and the remaining eight months at 4 a.m. They feel that they are compelled, in the interests of the carters, who are often on the streets at 6, 7, and 8 o'clock of a winter's night, to make this change." The letter expressed the hope that the union would see its way to accede to the demand of the masters, and so end the trouble. The secretary said that his union could not see its way clear to accede to the request to permit men to start at 3 a.m. during the winter months, but intended to stand by its rules. The whole question of the condition of the trade was therefore reopened by the Conciliation Board. The revision of the hours of starting demanded by the masters does not affect the total number for the week (57), but they want the hour of starting work in winter to be made 3 o'clock instead of 4 o'clock as at present, the same hour of starting on Wednesdays all the year round, and 2 a.m. on all Saturdays and the eves of holidays. The Board's recommendation directed that an industrial agreement embodying the terms of the Arbitration Court's award of 3rd February last be drawn up between the parties, and that there be added to it a clause providing a penalty of £10, recoverable in the Magistrate's Court, for any breach of the agreement; that, if such agreement is not filed within seven days, the Chairman to file a report that the Board has failed to bring about a settlement. Kaitangata. Goal-mining Dispute (before the Conciliation Board). —A reference of an industrial dispute between the Otago Coal-miners' Union and the Kaitangata Eailway and Coal Company was filed with the Clerk of Awards. The order of reference was as follows:— (1.) Cavilling under the following rules: (a) Headings, levels, and dips to be cavilled for specially; (b) names of those thrown out to be put in the general cavil; (c) in case of blanks in the general cavil those drawing them to cavil for the first places to start or which may have become vacant; (d) unsuccessful oavillers for special places (if desirous) shall cavil for the first special places to start or which may have become vacant; (c) one man to cavil for his place out of two or more places in the same manner as two or more men would cavil for one place. (2.) Headings to be paid for at the rate of 4s. per ton and 9s. per yard when worked by one shift, and 4s. per ton and 12s. per yard for two shifts. (3.) Levels, 4s. per ton and ss. per yard ;if double-shifted the yardage price to be increased to 7s. (4.) Dips : Price to be arranged between the mine-manager and the union committee. (5.) Bords 14ft. wide, 4s. per ton; 3d. per ton to be paid extra for each 2ft. or part of 2ft. reduction in width down to 6 ft. (6.) Stentons 12 ft. or more in width, 4s. per ton and 6s. per yard; narrow stentons not less than 6 ft. in width, 4s. per ton and 9s. per yard. (7.) Pillars: If split to the rise, stenton prices to be paid ;if split on the plane, bord prices ;if worked by lifts or strips, 3s. 6d. per ton; if lift or strip is less than 6 ft. in width, shift-wages to be paid. (8.) Shift-wages to be 10s. (9.) When miners are employed at shift-wages the truckers attending them to be paid Bs. per day; and in cases where miners have to leave the face to track shift-wages shall be paid them. (10.) Deficient places : All places driven through faults or alongside faults, or in soft faulty coal, or less than 6 ft. wide or 4 ft. 6 in. in height, and extremely hard places, to be paid shift-wages. (11.) Wet places and places wherein the air is foul to be paid shift-wages for six-hour shifts. (12.) Shift wages to be paid for brushing headings. (13.) Shift-wages to be paid where accumulations of dross have to be filled. (14.) Head-coal to be paid for at the rate of 3s. 6d. per ton, providing there is not less than 6 ft. of a carry; 4s. per ton where the carry is from 6 ft. to 3ft.; less than 3ft., shift-wages. £1 to be paid for opening up head-coal to get a workable carry. (15.) Coal to be weighed. (16.) That the company supply help on the heading roads, so that the men at the face need not come out to help the trucker. (17.) One shilling per shift extra to be paid to each man when working with safety-lamps. (18.) One shilling per shift to be paid to each man for night-work. (19.) The practice of putting shift-men to fill coal that has been prepared by the pieceworkers to be abolished. (20.) That no ooal be worked on shift-wages in levels, headings, bords, or any other workings in the mine where piece-rates have been fixed. (21.) Special arrangement to be made between the manager and the union committee with regard to price in plaoes where more than two men are employed on one shift. (22.) All preparatory work that will interfere with the miner during the ordinary working-hours to be done on off-days or night-time. (23.) Hours underground to be eight per shift. (24.) Boxes to be regulated throughout the mine. (25.) Every Saturday to be a half-holiday. (26.) The horn to be blown at 7 o'clock on the evening previous to an idle day, (27.) Workmen suspended at present to resume