RELIEF FOR THE COURT?

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22004, 30 January 1937, Page 12

RELIEF FOR THE COURT?

♦ Many Industrial

Disputes

MINISTER CONSIDERING

PLANS

Before the next session of Parliament begins the Minister for Labour, the Hon. H. T. Armstrong, will make recommendations to the Government for relieving the Arbitration Court of some of the work which has been accumulating steadily since its industrial powers were restored. Exactly what action he will recommend the Government to take has not been determined by the Minister although several suggestions have been made to hyn and considered. “There is no doubt that there is too much pressure on the court at present,” said Mr Armstrong yesterday, “and the setting up of another tribunal to deal with compensation cases would not be enough. There are too many details submitted to the court that should never go there. There are not nearly enough complete settlements between the workers and employers. It seems to me that they have got into the habit of going to the court without having agretd on anything.” Although the Minister said that he had not yet decided definitely what recommendations to make to the Government he had considered the appointment of industrial magistrates to hear and settle minor disputes; The judging of minor clauses of agreements by conciliation commissioners with one representative of each party, like a secondary court, had also been suggested to him, but he had yet made no decision.