PILES OF WORK.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 269, 12 November 1937, Page 11

PILES OF WORK.

VIVID STATEMENTS. OBSERVING THE LAW. ML ARMSTRONG'S FIGURES. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Thursday. "If something is not done in the near future to give workers the opportunity to get before the Court we cannot reasonably expect them to observe the law much longer." This was one of the vivid statements used by Mr. Armstrong, Minister of Labour, as a preliminary to demonstrating the extraordinary acoumulation of award and compen -r.tion business for the Arbitration Court. He was replying to discussion on the second reading of the measurp, which authorises the setting up of a second temporary Court and the delegation of business to stipendiary magistrates. To give members an idea how long it would take for a single Court to catch up on arrears of work the Minister said the Court had been sitting in Auckland over two months, but still had 47 sawardq and 24 compensation cases 'pending. Wellington had 44 awards and 59 compensation cases waiting. He did not have the Christchurch figures, but in all probability they were about equal, while in Dunedin there were 21 awards snd nine compensation cases. It would, he said, take the Court until March next to wind up the Auckland business without going anywhere else. Wellington business would occupy three months and there was a considerable amount of work awaiting it elsewhere. Altogether there were 302 compensation cases and awards awaiting decisions, including Christchurch business. Discussing the suggestion that the Court should visit secondary towns, the Minister said it was likely this would be done as it was lesft expensive to take the Court to town than send all the witnesses to the city. However, this was « matter of administration.