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THE FIREWOOD TRADE.
v WAGES BOARD APPEAL
DISMISSED BY THE COURT.
The appeal against a wages board decision,
which was begun on the previous
day was concluded on Friday, before the
president of the Arbitration Court (his
Honor Mr. Justice Buchanan). The appellants
were Christopher Beaven, fuel merchant;
Richard Mayfield Church, coal
manager: and Josiah Thomas, fuel merchant.
The appellants, being the majority
of the representatives of the employers on
the Coal and Firewood Board, appealed for
a revision of the award of that board,
dated October 9, 1913, which established a
48-hour week. They asked that a 48-hour
week should be substituted. The respon
dants were' R. P. Blundell (president of
the union concerned), D. C.-Temp (mem-
ber of the executive), and J." D. Charlton
(treasurer). " Mr.
T. S. O'Halloran, instructed by
Messrs. Glynn, Parsons, & McEwin, ap
cared for the appellants, and Mr. W. J.
penny, M.P., for the respondents.
George Thomas Moffatt, driver, riving
at Unley,, said he had been with Mr.
Thomas for nearly seven years. Since
the 48-hours' rule came into operation the
men had often lost time.'" New machi-'
nurse? was installed, at market the same
time as the new yard at -Mile-End was
opened. With the new machinery the
work was done more quickly than previously.
Under the old method it used
to take 20 minutes to load a ton of cut
wood; it now took about five minutes.
During the summer months five drivers
were employed "by Mr. Thomas, and during
the winter eight or nine were employed.
The witness had lost 48 hours'
work, equal to 228 in about eight
weeks.
By Mr. O'Halloran The witness now
did the same amount of work in 48 hours
as he had previously done in 52. The
wood did not need the same amount of
handling now as formerly, as it all came
from a hopper.
William Frederick Charles Pienig said
he was employed as a sawyer by Mr.
Thomas. He deposed that here had
been no difference in the work of the
yard since the new system was introduced.
An additional driver had been
employed, but that was because of new
Arthur Headon, a driver, living in
Wright-street, said he had been employed
by Mr. Hewish for about two
years, and he made a similar
number of trips now to those he
had previously made. '
Mr. Denny submitted that the evidence
showed that the employers were not in-
convenienced by the sward. Forty-eight
hours was regarded as the standard week's
work. There was no reason why these
men should work longer than other classes
of employes. He" argued that there was
no evidence at all which would testify a
variation Of the determination of the wages
board. There was a strong movement
everywhere in favor of the 48 hours principle,
and there was no reason why it
should not apply in the present case.
| Mr. O'Halloran said the hours of work
should not be altered by a wages board,
unless the side "Which asked for the altera-
tion showed some reason for the alteration.
It should not be done merely with the object
of bringing the hours down to 48.
He contended that the real test of any
employment was whether or not it was
injurious to health. It was not alleged
that the work in the present instance was
injurious to health.
In giving his decision, the President said
he agreed with Mr. O^Lalloran's conten-
tion that- wages boards and courts would
not make alterations in the state of affairs
found to exist in a trade merely for the
sake of making changes, and that changes
should not be made unless something was
advanced which satisfied the tribunal that
a change, ought to be made. He proposed
to dispose of the present appeal on i that
broad ground. Prior to the' Coal and
Fuel Wages Board determination of October
9, 1913. all the employes in that trade
worked fifty-two hours a week. There was
no discrimination of hours between
the drivers and the other employes.
Drivers worked fifty-two hours, and kept
their part of the work ah. east of the
work done by the other employees in the
trade in the same number of hours. The
effect of the determination was to reduce
the hours in the trade to forty-eight.
There was no appeal except as to drivers.
The evidence satisfied him that the drivers
could in the forty-eight; hours under the
determination keep abreast of their share
of the work. Before the award
there was no Discrimination as to hours
between drivers and other employes, and
on the evidence he was unable to see
any reason for setting up a discrimina-
tion. He could see nothing which
showed that She exigencies of the business
made the düurinanation sought for
necessary. Stress had been laid upon the
cartage of wood from the railway to the
woodyards, but the conditions in this re-
spect varied with the situation of each
yard' and he thought the employers could
take steps to avoid damage. As regarded
the question of fitting in the final
delivery of fuel to customers with knock
off time, no real difficulty had been
shown to exist, and this was no border
to effect at the close of an eight and a
half hours' day than at the close of a
nine hours' day. That it suited employers
and drivers that the drivers
should work shorter time in summer,
when work was very slack, instead of
the services of some of the drivers being
dispensed with, did not bear upon the
case. The appeal was dismissed.
Mr. Denny asked for costs.
The President said the costs of the
witnesses summoned would be met in the
I manner provided for by the statute.
$