ARBITRATION COURT.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17247, 10 September 1921, Page 9

ARBITRATION COURT.

MR McCULLOUGH'S resignation developments. (SPECIAL TO ''lilt rBESS.' ; ) WELLINGTON, September 9. It is'stated that Mr M. J. Reardon, the deputy nominated as the Labour member of the Arbitration Court, has gammoned to take Mr McCnljough's place. Ho is considering whether or not ho will do so. He says the position is a difficult one, and ho feels like calling cn the selectors of the All Black Rugby team to settle itApparently there is considerable difference of opinion among the workers about Mr McCuLough'b a tion. The non-militant unions believe in the Court, but the militant section appear to be'out to wreck it. Subsequent events may ho interesting. If, as is stated, the authorities have asked Mr Reardon to take the place of Mr McCullough on the Arbitration Court, there is a probability that their action is not in accordance with the law. The Act seems to make it quito clear that the deputy representative cannot act as a member of the Court, except in the case of illness or temporary absence of the nominated member. Mr Reardon, it was generally understood, would eventually be selected upon Mr McCullough'a retirement in the ordinary courso of events. This difficulty in deciding about the request that Mr Reardon should now act as deputy may be the difficulty of gauging which is at present the stronger force in New Zealand unionism—the militants or the non-militants. It is thought that in an election, the latter could carry the day. Mr Reardon. however, may be absolved from making any cnoice when he learns that he cannot legally take Mr McCullough's place as & member of the Court.

ATTrrUDE OF LOCAL UNIONS. EE-APPOINTMENT OT ME I McOUMiOUOH TAVOTOED. | The secretary of the Alliance of (Labour's Conference on unemployment and emigration (Mr J. Roberts) telegraphed yesterday to Mr W. J. Green, secretary of the Canterbury Trades and Labour "Council, regarding the resignation of Mr J. A. McCullough of his I position as workers' representative on the Court of Arbitration, as follows: I "Conference decided that there be no other nomination but McCullough. This refers to the circular issued by the Department of Labour calling upon unions registered under the Industrial '■ Conciliation and Arbitration Act to nominate a successor to Mr McCul- ' lough on the Court. Mr Roberts 3 telegram was in reply to one from Mr Green, asking for an interpretation of , the resolution of Conference on the • subject, which was somewhat ambigu--1 ously worded, and was by some to mean that the Conference had decided -that no person should be nominated for the position resigned by Mr McCullough. Mr JRoberts's telegram to Mr Green makes it quite clear that the Conference recommended that no other person but Mr McCullough t should be nominated. h A meeting of representatives or | Chrlstchurch unions and of Labour i members of Parliament was held at ! the Trades Hall yesterday afternoon, t Mr McCullough was also present. The ; following motion was agreed to unani- ! mous'y: "That this Conference heartily f ' endorses the decision of the Wellington Conference in nominating Mr J. A. !• McCullough as workers' representative on the Arbitration Court: We request all the unions throughout the Dominion to nominate Mr McCullough, as a protest against the recent action of the Arbitration Court.'' It is said in trades union circles that Mr. McCullough had expressed his strong determination not to sit in the [ Court again. The strong and pracL tically unanimous feeling amongst re- ' presentatives of trades unions that he iv \ should return to the Court will, prob- % * aMy, enable Mr McCullough to reconsider hie decision.

j\- WELLINGTON OPINIONS. in (FEESB ASSOCIATION XBLEQBAM.) I v WELLINGTON, September 9. I Mr M. J. Reardon, who has been j!. temporarily summoned to fill the posif' of workers' representative oil the S 3 vfprbitration Court bench, pending the J of a member in the place ? tf Mr J. A. McCullough, has, it is said, I 4ieen placed in anawkward position v" ? by thereiolutiogpaßsedbythe Allioqee of Labour Conference, recom!i, mending him hot to' fijl the vacancy. I cits, it b apparent that opinion is ' 'divided upon the question as to wheither Labour should Arbitv Ifcration Court *aa the legal medium • /thMugh whith ihdttstnftl disputes may i-V -..t0 - settled. .In <ome official quarters I ,ft is mttintainedthat the Alliance of i i L*bour,.which claim* to represent , a >;|piUoriity or tiki in the various i' .industries throughout the Dominion, =. 'Vur not wgarded as . thoroughly repr*>* Whtafciveoftlie workers. ? I. When approached,- Mr Reardon stated that hj& required some days in which to turn over in his mind tpe peculiar position in which he found himself be'.fdre arriving at a decision. He said v fcehad to consider whether it was the ojiihion of the majority of the emr iployeea that the Arbitration Court i' should not'be resogiused. Be had : heen summoned to appear as. the workers' deputy at the Auckland sittings o' -the Court next week, and-he therefore had only a few days in which to arrivo «t a decision, . The Alliance of Labour has, recommended organised Labour not to nominate another person as the workers' representative on the. ArbitrationCfSurt. If this recommendation is adopted bv industrial bodieß, it k understood that the Government can still appoint n- representative to fill the vacancy. * " • Mr MpCullough's resignation, as the revolt of & difference of opinion in . resard to the reduction of the wages of shearers and shed-hands, has % aroused wide interest, hot alone in Laoour circles.; The development has given rise to argument as to whether the personnel of three members of the Court is most satiefactoiy. The contention that a judge alone should adjudicate upon different that arise between employer and employee in the fixation of wages / and general working conditions is . voiced by not a few.

! ' OP AtTCKLAMD .<•/ ttfaONSEOBBTAXiBS. (fuess assocutiok tbjwram.) ipf ... AUCKLAND, September 9. Bl'.Tfe appointment of a successor to illAfr J. A. McCuHoagh on thp Arbitration B§§?Jouit was considered at the Trades ipfetl hynnion secretaries representing H||ifAuckland unions. SpSllA' telegram was received; from Mr P§||-> t T' Beardon stating that the pSMott hn<l been expressed in WellingBjgfm that.h'a should not attend the Ajickpf|nj4 sittings of the Court,and asking ■ the opinion of tbo unions on th©

It was decided that a reply be sent to Mr Roardon advising him not to attend. It was also resolved to advise all unions having business before the Court at tho next sitting to stay away until the present dispute was settled. It was further decided to ask Mr McCullough to reconsider his decision not to seek re-election to the Court. It was agreed by those present to urge the unions to nominate Mr McCullough, it being felt that to nominate him again was the best way for unionists to show their confidence in him, and their resentment of tho action of the Court. The opinion waß expressed that a crisis had been reached in the > history of industrial arbitration in this country ; that it was for the workers to take a stand now and show that unless pronouncements made by the _ Court could be depended n u, it was time for a change to be made.

10 THE EDITOR OF "THE PRESS. ' Sir, —As the representative of the sheepownera before the Arbitration Court in the recent shearers' and shed hands' dispute, I wish to express my surprise at the reasons given by McCullough for his action in resigning ihis position on account of the recent judgment of the Arbitration Court in connexion with this dispute. It must be admitted by any fairminded person that Mr McCullough can have no genuine grounds for stating that the Court ha 3 gone back on its stabilising scheme in any way. It must bo obvious that this could only apply to an Industry where the extra prico paid for 'abour could be added to tha price of t)he article produced by that labour. The primary producer is not in the position to do tine, and it would be manifestly unfair to fix a standard rate for labour unless & standard pnea can also bo guaranteed for the product of that labour sufficient to cover the cost of production. The Court stated in plain language that it laid this principle of stabilisation down as a guide to parties coming before it, but that it would not from the pronouncement unless "extern ordinary circumstances" were showing If there has ever been extraonUJHu# circumstances in the industrial hffto# of this .Dominion, they are surely win? ua now in connexion with the wool industry. In fact, they must be selfevident to all. and more especially to Mr McCullougn. himself, who, .by virtue of his position on the Court, has had access to figures and information whidh must demonstrate to the meanest intelligence that the timo has emphatically- come when a substantial reduction must take place in the working expenses attached to the shcepfamiing industry, if those immediately connected with it aro to survive. Mr McCullough's reference to wool values suggests wilful blindness to the actual position Mr McCuilougih denies that there are any '"extraordinary" circumwell, that, of course, may be his opinion, although it is difficult to see how,that opinion could be arrived at by him, but what have those connected with the industry to sayP ■A novice in industrial matters must Know that the bottom has dropped out of this industry, and that in consequence, employers are being ruined and workers thrown out of employment. It is incomprehensible to me how Mr MoOullough can den*- t'>e position, ahd it compels one to ask whether there is some other cause ueniiul ttis resignation: especially as since the pronouncement, where ( extraordinary circumstances meant increased wages, he had no grievance. It is equally strange that Mr McCullough alter having sat for bo many years on the Arbitration Court, where he was placed by the great body of workers who have stood by the Act, should have felt it incumbent upon himself to state his reasons for his action in the first plaice to the Alliance of labour, a body quite outside the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. I have always understood that Mr McCullough stood fast for Conciliation and Arbitration, and was a believer in the Act he assisted to administer. Under the circumstances it appears as if those bodies of workers who appointed him have been misled. If the workers of. New Zealand wish to bring about industrial chaos with reduced wages to ali, the Easiest and BUrest way to go about it is to follow the lead of Mr McCullough. and rely upon the Alliance of Labour and its determination to wipe out the \ Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. The employers, I feel sure, will not stand in their way. Mr McCullough has for years sat on the Court and drawn his gpod salary whilst wages were rising, ana now that the tide has apparently turned, he throws his arms up and goes under, leaving some comraae to take his place T.nder tha altered circumstances.. I trust his nominees will appreciate his action

As far a3 shearers and shed hands wages are concerned, however, I do toot admit that the tide has turned to their detriment. The Bhearers under the now (onditiens are still in a position to earn i A good living, they are as well off now ««■ th«y were in December of last vear. The big drop in the cost of living which has -taken place since that time, and which will oe still more favourable by December op this year, makes it highly probable that the purchasing power of their money will be quite as high, and will go as far, if not further, than the -wages of last, season did. Will the shearers please note this? The workers who have not had their wages reduced are already in an exceptionally good and improving position, and have the Court to thank for it. I am of opinion that the person who discredits the Court, and thus risks its existence is more a friend of the employer than the worker. If the workers think they can do better without the Arbitration Court, then of course they have every right to worK for its abolition, but this does not explain how Mr McCullough, who represents Labour on the Arbitration Court, and was voted there by industrial unionists, should report his extraordinary action in the f>rst place to the Alliance t Labour, whose avowed object is to oe troy thn Industrial Conciliation anp Arbitration Act, and, as ft natural quence, the Court also. —Yours, etc., "WM. H. NICHOLSON, Secretary. CBristchurch, September 9th.

In the case of Sir McCullough'a resignation. one ia inclined to ask: (1) What possible. good can his withdrawal from the Arbitration Court do the workers? (2) TV ill they benefit by 1113 action? Someone will be appointed to act as workers' representative on fche Court, whether the Labour unions nominate a successor to Mr McCullough or not. The Government hare power under the Act to appoint an assessor. In these circumstances, is Mr McCullough'a fiction a wise one? It's no use kicking against the pricks. Of course, one docs not know what the ultimate aim of the Labour Party may be, but if it is to .make the Arbitration Act inoperative, it will seem to many people to be a case of cutting off their'ncses to •.-nite their faces.—Yours, etc., REASON.