THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13100, 27 April 1908, Page 8

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.

INTERVIEWED AT AUCKLAND

(PRESS association telegram.) AUCKLAND. April 26. Tlie Hon. Dr. Findlay, AttorneyGeneral, who is at present in Auckland, will probably leave for Wellington on Tuesday in order to be present at Cabinet meetings which .ire to bo held shortly. Tlio Minister intimated to a "Herald" representative that among other matters coming up was that of amending the Conciliation and Arbitration Act in cert-iin directions. Important legislative measures to be dealt with next session would a .so ••onio up for consideration. A«.-.d if he propo-rd lo again bring down the Judiciary Bill he introduced last session, Dr. Findlay said he c_id. but that it would proab-jbly be witti modifications. Ther. would be an alteration, at least in rognrd to tlio proposal to establish a ihv.v .system ot hearing appeals. The Bill involved a pioposal to abolir-h Districts Courts and substitute. sittings of the Mipremo Court- or emended juri-dieti-on to qualified Magistrate. This. th.« Minister said, had found almost universal approval from the. legal profession. Referring to the case of \\ . Dixon, now undergoing imprisonment for failing to pa v. on an order of the Lou it, an amount for back to an employee, tho Hon. Dr. Findlay said that, as far as he under.toed tlio matter it was a perfectly clear ca.so. ii... Court of Appeal decided some time af'o in a case involving much moro hardship on tho employer that a man could sue for back wages. In the case referred to, the employer had to pay a very large sum, extending over several years, to a young man who had throughout been a party to the bargain under which he received less tlr.ni the award rate. There had been several similar oases since, in each of which the employer had recognised that as the law stood, he must pay, and hart done so without making any fuss. The judgment against Dixon was an ordinal.- judgment of the Court, and .proceedings'" on it wore just the- some a.s those under which a man refuses to pay his grocer's bill. Dr. Findlay added that amendments to tho Arbitration Act would be under consideration of tho Cabinet this week. Ho went on to express the opinion that- Ro-orua ought to be made one of the features in connection with tlie forthcoming visit of " tho American fleet to Auckland. "Speaking sel-fi-hly," the Minister remarked "one .nn'scarcolv conceive a better advertising medium than to impress the officers and men of tho fleet with the wonders of our thermal regions. America is very much nearer than • En_jand, and the stream of visitor), froiii the United States should increase faster from the latter, if this country is properly advertised. -Though we have done*a good deal towards advertising the Dominion, anyone visiting England can see how enormously moro effectively advertised Canada is, not merely by the newspapers, but »>y direct advertising in them, and on the railways. Probably, too, tho visit of the officers of tho fleet to Rotoma might be ' made tlio occasion of inviting prominent Australians. That would' give 'further distinction to the event." Dr. Findlay said that no doubt his sugg-Sftion came partly within the functions of the Auckland committee, but ho would represe-it his views to Cabinet. He added that as far as he could ascertain nearly all the northern members favoured the proposal that both Houses of Parliament should adjourn in order to take part in the reception of the fleet. On tho ether hand, several southern mem-bers-were opposed to the idea. Ono result of the recent visit paid by the Hon. Dr. Findlnv to Rotorua has been to convince him that better , communication with, at any rate, some of our great thermal regions is required. He said:—"l think we must Booner or later provide means of reach--Wairakei and Taupo more easily and speedily .than at present. There seems no doubt that the geyser valley at. Wairakei contains a finer coji-cen-ration of thermal sights than amy part of the whole Island, yet only a small number of tourists find their way there or to Taupo. When tho main' trunk line i. completed there should be some easy _ communication . made between the main lino and Tokaanu, enabling southern visitors to come up via Taupo and Wairakei on to Rotorua. and thence to Auckland, and enabling northern or Auckila_id visitors to proceed from Rotorua on to til. main trunk line.via-Taupo, and either back to Auckland by the main lino or via the Wnngauui river. Tlie expense 'of providing either a good road or a light railway between th. main trunk line and Tokaanu would not be very groat, and as the traffic increases, I have no doubt this proposal will inpress itself on the Government."