WANTS TO FUNCTION.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 174, 25 July 1928, Page 11

WANTS TO FUNCTION.

APPRENTICESHIP COMMITTEE INDEPrNDENT CHAIRMAN SUGGESTED. DEPARTMENTAL NEUTRALITY. "We thought, with some recommendations coming along, that all your troubles were over." said Mr. Justice Frazer in the Arbitration Court yesterday, when, as an echo to recent dissension amongst members of the Plumbers and Gasfitters' Apprenticeship Committee, the employees applied to have an independent chairman of the committee appointed. "We feel that if we had an independent chairman, more work and better work could be done," said Mr. J. Clark, secretary of the union, in supporting the application. "We are not biased, but we want to function properly," he added. Mr. S. E. Wright, secretary of the Employers' Association, saw no reason for the granting of the application. The committee had been working smoothly since an officer of the Labour Department had been appointed secretary, and several amendments proposed by the union had been made. There was no other committee, to his knowledge, that was operating with an independent chairman. Mr. Clark contended that an officer of the Labour Department was acting in that capacity in the South Island. At present the committee was equally divided, but if his suggestion were adojited the possibility of deadlocks could be obviattd. Mr. Justice Frazer said it was news to him that Departmental officers were acting as chairmen of committees. Mr. W. Slaughter, officer in charge of tht Labour Department: It is also news to me. Two years ago the Department was opposed to it. Mr. Justice Frazer: It is a wonder to me that the Department has approved of it because it is such a departure from its stand of neutrality. Mr. Slaughter said he would not approve of the appointment of an officer of the Department if he were able to exercise a vote. Mr. Justice Frazer said that while they had always understood that the great success of the conciliation commissioners was because of their conciliatory powers, the Court desired to ascertain the view of the Department on the matter before coming to any decision. He would not like to deal with the matter unless officers of the Department had been appointed in the past. The Court, however, had not made any appointments of that nature.