SETTLED POLICY URGED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 23 September 1941, Page 2

SETTLED POLICY URGED

COURT OF ARBITRATION SHOULD OBVIATE MANY CASES Christchurch, Sept., 22. A suggestion that during the war appeals to the Court of Arbitration for changes in awards might be postponed was made by Mr H. F. Butland, secretary of the Canterbury Employers’ Association, at the annual meeting. He claimed that the Court should lay clown a settled policy, and suggested that the Industrial Emergency Council had power to meet most emergencies during the war. At present, with awards being improved all the time, workers had nothing to lose and everything to gain by not settling in conciliation council and going on to the Arbitration Court. A general policy formula laid down by the Court, as it had a chance of doing, would obviate that. In a brief reference to the Second Court of Arbitration, Mr Butland said: “I do not wish to say much about it, but it was not a success. Apart from the personal side of it, it had no chance of settling matters on a policy formu - j lated by another Court.” There had been too many changes of personnel in the Court of Arbitration in recent years to give satisfaction, Mr Butland added. Four judges had sat in the last six years. At one time there had been two Courts and an industrial magistrate all sitting, which meant three separate authorities dealing with industrial disputes. Mr Butland expressed the hope that the present judge of the Court would remain long enough in office for a settled policy to be formulated and stated so that the parties would know what to expect.—P.A.