The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-11-12 00:00:00

Soya ant( pstrict *us

FRIENDLY SOCIETY CASE,

At the Police Court on Wednesday, before
\ Tema. C. Celnane and H. O. Firmstone, James
Chance, nailtnaker, of the Lye, cummoned Thomas
Parkes, secretary of the Refuge Divilion of the
Order of the Sons of Temperance, held at the Tem-
perance Hall, Lye, for £l2, due to him as sick
pay.—Mr. Waldron appeared for the complainant
and Mr. Stokes represented the society.—Mr.
Waldron said that the Beach would recollect that
the case stood in this position; he had examined
his witness and his friend (Mr. Stokes) then asked
for an adjournment to allow him to produce certain
rules.—Mr. Stokes said it was suppwed that this
society was a subordinate lodge of an association
and was governed by certain local rules.. There
were three divisions in that association, the Grand
National Division, the Grand Division, and the
Subordinate Division, the Grand National having
one set of rules, the Grand Division another set.
and the Subordinate Division another set By the
rules of the Grand National it was quite clear that
disputes were to he referred to an arbitrator, but
the Subordinate rules directed that the disputes
should be decided by the justices, and the Act of
Parliament said that all disputes should be settled
as directed by the rules. Since he was there he had
learnt that his instructions were not actually a sta.' e
of facts. He was instructed that the rules produced
by the complainant had been rescinded and other
rules made by the Grand National Lodge. He
thought as far as the legal aspect of the case went
they were in this position. There was no refeyence
whatever to Grand National or Grand Division, nor
any other society except their own. He thought
they khould simplify the matter very much by going
now upon those rules which hip; friend (Mr. Wald-
ron) had put in, and were called Subordinate
Lodge Rules, and would now proceed upon the
merits of the ease.—The complainant, who gave his
statement on Friday last, which has already been
reported, was put into the box and cross-examined
by Mr. Stokes: 1 think some time in 1879 you had
an accident to your hand. Witness: Yes sir. Mr.
Stokes : You declared yourself "on the box" and
continued so sometime after this injury to the
hand. Witness: Yes Mr. Stokes: During
that time did you employ men as nailmakers.
Witness: No. Mr. Stokes: Before you met with
the accident did you employ men? Witness :If
my master wa.nttal more nails than I could make I
should set men on to make them. Mr. stokes: Did
you weigh in at Sergeant Turner's warehouse?
Witness: Yes, Mr. Turner was my employer. Mr.
Stokes: On the 2nd of Mhreh, 1880, did you weigh
in 3ilbs of nails ? Witness: I did. Mr. Stokes :

And you ;sere paid for them. Witness: No. Mr.
Stokes: Was an information sent to the lodge that
you had been following your employment by taking
in nails? Witness: Ido not know. Mr. Stokes :

Were you charged with weighing in nails on the
2nd of March? Witness :No sir, it was only re-
ported. Mr. Stokes : Were not you preient when
the report was made? .17!tness : I was. Mr.
Stokes: And did not you plead guilty to Ii? Wit-
ness: Certainly, I acknowledged it. Mr. kes:
You say then they illegally expelled you. Wit-
ness: Yes sir, they did. Mr. Stokes: Did ouafter-
wards attend the lodge with respect to your claim
for sick pay? Witness They would not allow me
t) go. Mr. Stokes: Dai not the members of the
lodg come to your hou.-e on the 24th April?
Wlt-
neSa : They Ud. 11r. Stoke.-; :That was five weeks
lifter you had been expelled. Witness: Yes Mr.
Stoke' ; Aber some dwouesion did you sign tithe