ATTACK ON JUDGE SIM.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 45, 4 February 1911, Page 8

ATTACK ON JUDGE SIM.

BY A TRADES AND LABOUR COUNCIL [pej: press association. J Dunedin. Feb. 3. The action of Ihe Arbitration Court in throwing out the application in the shearing shed hands case in Christchurch last November lias led to a violent attack on the President of the Court. Mr. Justice Him, by the Otago Trades and Labour Council. This council protested against the action of the President of the Court, and subsequent l.v forwarded a letter to the Hon. J. A. Millar bearing on the matter.

j In the opening paragraph of the 'letter the council states: —“We propose to justify our action, and at the same time draw your attention to a few of Mr. Justice Sim's inconsistencies and unfair decisions (luring the time he has occupied I the position of Piesident of the ■ Court.” The letter goes on to reI fer to the council’s loyalty to the I court, and says the decision referI red to has convinced it that unless something is done immediately to ; ensure that winkers will receive i fair treatment from the court, they I vi ill have to consider seriously Uic wisdom of advising unions to adopt ■ some other method of settling inti list 1 ial disputes. Proceeding, the council states that Mr. Justice I Sims’ decision may be perfectly 1 sound in law. but it is certainly not ;in equity. In marked contrast to his decision is the opinion of Mr. Justice Chapman while President 'of the Court in The appli- '■ cant in that dispute was the Dllll- - and Suburban General Carri- ; ers’ ar.d Una? Morrhant s’ Union of j Employers. In that case an exact- ■ ly similar point was raised, namely, •that when an application was filed [there was no dispute, and that the ( stateme->t that efforts to arrive at |an amicabde settlement had failed was a farce. But Mr. Justice Chapman bi ashed the objection to one t .-.ide. with the remark that the court generally recognised that a . dispute became a dispute immediately an apj-lication was filed. Ihr ;o>;mi! contended that Mr. JuCi-r .S’lii has made awards hi

■ n,;»? y fuses vv l.'f"-e be knew no dispt;:. 1 i x’sjed. The complaint made •of nPegcd -i-sist ■■;•<•■. is with re- • gard to iLe I’; ficcd of ;m- court to make awards for p’-iv.-uc not els in Dim,*’:: ( i.m'i' udi. vdiei e as an az .rl was made hi Rotorua. -The !>im hands <ti pr. e in Cant-r 'burr it also quoted as an install e ! of the judge's s! l iking rr;i * ii i:ess i o ; t he wuikrr.% also the si ’ ike claims in I be Soi.ild.ru! tin '•.»■'• av.ards. • In roin-hisio’) t !:<. i! says: ’■‘The qt:< si mn m vl.ai dees the ; Government in’m -i L> do in the ’n: >i* ar If :* '• diiemk d io mark lime ;; >d allow rhir.g- to drift, then ;t!:*re is t;km*. to I':* ;> industrial ; npli-ur. :d st.ci: as New Z« r iard Imr- ; rover previously kin a- i. ds.ri :g which of m i 'pie i’l In- made to shfi. r. It you • will take a strong stand and ;n : Ti ’ : st:»:e o: thu gs shad no" von v. e I; 1 '. 1 no h- si' at ion in i .:o. :r- ti.'t Gw'. .•; <i ‘!;l; •• si 1 ard ,\r 'hi: ration Act wr! ‘no as a. ccpgj I.‘to the ma’c.r: yof n sa- ; wa- ; n days gone ! y." 1 i rrn’y the Minister states t 1 a. the lii.'tf’ei of the shed bands <’:s I><* carefnl’y con.'-idvre <’ ’i,;: .it . wH.lt aineiidiiients to • be li ib.ist' ; q Conr’ i 't'on and Ar ibimi i‘-n Act. 1 i the nnaniiiin I :o'.Ling further can i»e d me.