THE ARBITRATION COURT.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 1914, 7 September 1921, Page 4

THE ARBITRATION COURT.

The resignation of Mr J. A. McCullough, the Labour representative on the Arbitration Court, will come as a surprise. It.sug;*fcsts that the attitude of the Court in the present industrial crisis''does not meet with his approval. Mr McCullough intends making a statement to the Labour Alliance today, and until that is forthcoming, one can merely hazard an opinion as to what was the cause of the resignation. Meanwhile, it is significant that the chairman of tho Feilding Farmers' Freezing Company has openly expressed the opinion that tho Arbitration Court has served its purpose, and that its abolition would bo in the best interests of the Dominion. The demands made by the Labour "bosses" have of lato been outrageous, and if they are supported by the Arbitration Court, they will inevitably result in the paralysing of trade. The Court has expressed its intention of endeavouring to "stabilize" wages. But if this stabilization has the effect of closing down industries, it will be disastrous for both employer and employed. The question will have to be seriously considered by Parliament in the forthcoming session, whether the Conciliation and Arbitration Act is serving the purpose for which it was intended, and whether its modification is not imperative in tho interests of the Dominion as a whole.