ARBITRATION COURT

Evening Star, Issue 18173, 13 January 1923, Page 7

ARBITRATION COURT

THE WORKERS’ NOMINEES. MR REARDON DEFENDS HIS WOR& [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, January 13. Mx M. J- Reardon is a candidate fo* reappointment as the workers representative on the Arbitration Court. Mr T, Bloodworth (Auckland, Mr C. Rena (Christchurch, and Mr L. F. Evans (Dunedin) are also candidates. The Alliance or Labor has issued a circular urging rapport for Mr H. Hunter and, Mr W. E. Sill for tho positions of representative and deputy respectively. [Special to the ’Star.'] WELLINGTON, J anuary IS. The Alliance of Labor’s circular advoj oating Mr H. Hunter for the workers seat on tho Arbitration. Court declares that the court during the post year not only emlbarkcd on a policy of drastic wage regulation, bull in mow s&’ardfi altered conditions so that wascs were considerably reduced. Thus a double reduction was effected. It wtal'CS tlh&t iihoi deucy in purchasing power of the present wage compared with 1914 is from 10 to 20 per cent. These things were done without a word of public protest by present workers’ representatives on. WM court, and therefore tlio alliance urges s change. Mr Reardon (has prepared a etatemeil in whksh he replies to oritiaism of tfh£ court’s action. He says that during hi term of office wo general reductions hay been made except in accordance with _th downward movement of -the cost of living and only in one or two cases whore 4 higher rate 'than the court’s standard rate had been temporarily attained was any further reduction ordered ; and even then the court’s standard was maintained, despite the employers’ strong claims for further reductions on the (ground of fliuanalal stress. In scores of cases applications to i reduce tho ooyrfs standard had been rejected, and in scores of cases rates and; conditions were raised to tho court’s present standard, which, be declared, V®3 as high as any in the world. It had not been attained without a degree of opposition, of whidfi the workers could have no conception. While he was loth to K& « fall In money wages, ho was forced to conclude that the" cost of living adjustments made up to tho present were unavoidable. He considered ho would serve tho workers best by opposing a reduction of Hho court’s and toy doing his best to preserve the purchasing power of wages paid rather than by making futile attempts to oppose tho cost of living adjustment. Messrs lleun and Hunter hare also issued personal appeals.