JUDGE SWORN IN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 304, 23 November 1937, Page 6

JUDGE SWORN IN.

NEAV ARBITRATION COURT. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, Nov. 22. The new Judge of the recently-creat-ed second Arbitration Court', Mr AAL J. Hunter, Christchurch, was sworu m at the Supreme Court by Mr Justice Ostler. The ceremony took place in chambers. Mr Hunter had arrived ironi the south this morning. Later in the afternoon the new Judge and Mr Justice O’Regan, of the original Arbitration Court, conferred with the Minister of Labour, Hon. H. T. Armstrong, and the Minister subsequently met Mr W. Cecil Prime and Mr A. L. Monteith, employers and employees’ members respectively of the original Court. After the conference, Air Armstrong stated that the initial allocation of work between the two Courts had been made and he hoped the new Court would be functioning within the next few days. Mr O’Regan and his colleagues had an accumulation of 17 industrial disputes which had been heard and which had still to be disposed of. The Court would accordingly suspend public sittings until its arrears of w'ork had been overtaken and the new Court would, proceed to hear cases on the list as soon as its full personnel had been brought together at Auckland. Regarding new appointments, the Minister said that those of Mr AV. E. Anderson and Mr D. I. Macdonald, nominees of the New Zealand Employel's’ Federation for the offices of employers’ member and deputy-member respectively, were being made immediately under the recent amending legislation, which allowed tile usual polls of employers and workers’ unions to be dispensed with. The choice of the employees’ member and his deputy had been referred to the New Zealand Federation of Labour, with which nearly all workers’ unions were affiliated. AVhen nominations had been received there would be no delay in making the formal appointments. It was hoped the. new employees’ member would be able to leave for Auckland immediately and the second Court would begin its sittings as soon as he arrived, possibly on Wednesday. Mr H. F. Rutland, deputy-registrar of the original Court, would be appointed registrar of the second Court. Asked whether the Government was proceeding with its plan for appointing industrial magistrates, Mr Armstrong said the legislation merely provided that the Arbitration Court might delegate certain of its powers to stipendiary magistrates. The idea in the Government’s mind, however, had been to appoint some magistrates specially for the purpose. This was a matter for the Minister of Justice, with whom ho would have to consult before anything was done.