CHANGE POSSIBLE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 59, 7 September 1938, Page 12

CHANGE POSSIBLE

ARBITRATION COURT

DELEGATION OF POWERS

It was announced this afternoon by the Minister .of Labour) (the Hon. H. T. Armstrong) that Cabinet had under consideration the question of whether the Second Court of Arbitration would continue to. function after the term for which it was established expired in November next. The Minister said that whatever decision was made would not affect the position of Mr. Justice Hunter, who, was permanently appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court. Many avenues of employment could be found for him in his judicial capacity. Mr. Armstrong said that it was possible that in, the future industrial Magistrates would be appointed to hear local awards and other minor cases leaving the Court of Arbitration free to deal with Dominion awards > and compensation cases and also to act as a Court of Appeal in disputed decisions of Magistrates—not only in respect to awards, but also in respect to workers' compensation cases.

"We have already appointed one iri•dustrial Magistrate, and he is likely to commence his duties in Auckland this week," said the Minister. "Mr. R. D. Lumsden, an officer of the legal branch of the Department of Labour in Wellington,. has gone to Auckland to act as Registrar, of the Court of Arbitration temporarily in the place of Mr. J. A. Gilmour, who is the industrial Magistrate appointed."

The Minister added that in the event of the Second Court of Arbitration being disposed of it was possible that Mr. Butland, Registrar of the Second Arbitration Court, would be permanently appointed Registrar of the Arbitration Court.