APPEAL COURT.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LVI, Issue LVI, 22 July 1909, Page 7

APPEAL COURT.

ARE MUNICIPAL BODIES SUBJECT TO THE ARBITRATION ACT?

[press association.]

WELLINGTON, July 22.

The Appeal Court is hearing a special case stated by the President of the Arbitration Coiirt as follows:— Are municipal corporations and harbor boards subject to the provisions of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act? Mr D. M. Findlay appeared to argue the case for the Dunedin Painters' Union, at whose instance it arose. Mr W-. C. Macgrcp;or for Dunedin City Corporation, and Mr T. S. West on for the Otago Harbor Board. Mr Findlay said there were two auestions involved : — (1) Did the provisions of the Arbitration Act apply to local authorities ; (2) if so, was there anything in the Municipal Corporation or Harbor Act exempting corporations and harbor boards ? He contended that the Act was intended to apply to local authorities. The definitions in the various Acts on the subject were wide enough to include them, and a proviso to Section 71 of the Act of 1908 was a clear indication of the intention to include them. Section 9 of that Act was almost wholly concerned with industries only carried on by boroughs. In the courso of argument it was mentioned that the Act had been assumed to apply to corporation tramways.