AN IMPORTANT DECISION.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIII, Issue 97, 22 April 1909, Page 5

AN IMPORTANT DECISION.

CONCILIATION COUNCILS MUST

NOT BE FLOUTED

[press association.]

AUCKLAND, April 21. In the Arbitration Court, Mr Justice Sim gave judgment in a case in which hotel and restaurant employees asked for an award. Judge Sim said the employees refused to discuss the matter before the Conciliation Council or to assist in bringing about a friendly settlement of the dispute. The question was whether the Court in the circumstances should proceed further with the dispute. The technical demands of the law had been complied with, but the Court had power to refuse to make an award. The most important provisions of the recent legislation were those dealing with conciliation, and the Court would not ■ allow them to be treated as a dead letter. The present application would be dismissed, and not until the Conciliation Council had failed to settle the case would the Court hear the dispute. This course would be adopted in all similar cases.