The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, JANUARY 25, 1926. AN INTERESTING "BATTLE.”

Gisborne Times, Volume LXIV, Issue 11011, 25 January 1926, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, JANUARY 25, 1926. AN INTERESTING "BATTLE.”

The need on the part of the employers and the workers to settle who shall represent their respective interests on tiie Court of Arbitration for a further term of office has led to an interesting “battle” amongst those who claim to speak on behalf of the latter. Mr. Monteith, the ex-member for Wellington East, lias, of course, a perfect right to stand for election against the present workers’ representative, Air. Hunter. Whether he would prove a more worthy representative than Air. Hunter is, however, quite another matter. It will be agreed that the position is not one that anybody out for a pleasant time would hanker after. Air. Reardon did his best to represent the workers’ side, but he had, eventually, to submit to far more abuse than sympathy. In turn, Air. McCullough was not unthankful when it came to his turn to retire from the post. Now Mr. Hunter has to run the gauntlet. It may be recalled that Air. Hunter owed his election to the fact that it was reckoned that his preder cessor had not resisted sufficiently the attitude of a majority of the Court concerning the wage reduction policy. But he is now being roundly condemned because it is felt by the “Left wing” amongst the workers that he has missed many opportunities of registering an effective protest on the matter ! Seemingly Air. Alonteitli’s strong card is a proud boast that, if he be given the position, he will be found to be a-real fighter. Air. Hunter, on his part, however, does not think much of Air. Alonteith’s appeal to the workers’ unions on that score. “In my experience,” he says, “I have found that the man who talks loudest about fight is usually the first to put his running boots on !” But the “battle” will soon be over. Although it is evident that the position is greatly, coveted, an attempt is being made by the extremists to have it believed that the unions should decline to have an assessor on the Court at all. Typical of that extraordinary attitude is the motion passed on Friday by the Christchurch Moulders’ Union which expressed the wild and unjustified opinion that the President of the Court is biassed and the representative of the employers conscienceless 1 It is, of course, inevitable that some mistakes will be made by the Court, but criticism of the kind’ referred to is very unworthy. The type of worker who talks in that strain belongs to the extremist section which openly avows that, if the “Reds” got into power ,no anti-lled would be invited to assist in the government of the country. Air. Hunter has found that what is expected of members of the Court is to show consideration for both sides. That does not, of course, mean that every member must, necessarily, be perfectly satisfied with every, decision reached by the Court. If the other members of he Court had been guilty of acts, or of remarks which showed bias Air. Hunter, surely, would not wish further to be associated with such a body. The fact that he is again standing for office is. in itself a complete answer to its wicked critics.