ARBITRATION COURT

Grey River Argus, 19 May 1938, Page 7

ARBITRATION COURT

NEED OF MAGISTRATES.

WELLINGTON, May 18. The advisability of appointing industrial Magistrates to relieve the Arbitration Courts in matters of minor importance, is being considered by the Minister of Labour, who stated to-day he was thinking seriously of recommending such a step to the • Government. He indicated that if Magistrates were appointed, they would have to be properly qualified men. Auckland would receive the first consideration, in view of the pressure of work there. He considered that industrial Magistrates would, by relieving the Court of these minor matters, be able to give interpretations of the awards much more expeditiously than was possible at present.

LAUNDRY DISPUTE.

WELLINGTON, May 18.

At the Conciliation Council to-day in the Wellington laundry workers’ dispute, Mr Nisbet, employers’ advocate, stressed that a laundry was a public utility. The Government had some very laudable ideas, among them being the creation of greater leisure, but that leisure surely should apply not only to the worker but to his wife. If the cost of laundry work was going to be forced up out of all reason, it simply means the work would be thrown back on the housewife, and she would not be enjoying the leisure she was entitled to. He thought they had to maintain the balance between fair treatment of employees in the laundry industry, and undue restrictions on a public utility.