TRAMWAY APPEALS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19072, 17 July 1925, Page 10

TRAMWAY APPEALS.

EXPENSES OF ASSESSORS.

RESULT TO GOVERNMENT.

[BY TELEGRAM.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON. Thursday. Tho question of payment of representatives of tramway appeals boards was the subject of a deputation to the Prime Minister. It was contended that while tho Act required a representative of the unions to occupy a position on tho various boards no provision was made in respect to payment of his expenses if the union to which he belonged refused to pay on the ground that the dispute had not originated from it. The deputation consisted of Messrs. C. Hobbs, secretary of the Tramway Federation, and H. Rogers. The trouble, Mr. Hobbs stated, had arisen in tho Auckland district. This district also embraced men from Takapuna and Gisborne and the Officers' Union. In addition there were a number of outsiders. It was not encumbent on any individual to send his appeal through a union. As tho Auckland unions had the greatest number of members it therefore followed that it elected the representative to tho appeal board. Tho result was that, in many instances tho representative was called upon to adjudicate upon matters from a union that was not his own and the difficulty aroso of defraying his expenses for lost time. His own union was expected to bear the cost. The same posi tion applied in respect to Duncdin. Tlicy we.ro asking that the Government should pay expenses to the senior magistrate, who was always chairman of the board, and the other representatives also. Mr. Coates: That means paying tho representatives of the tramway unions and the companies too. Mr. Hobbs stated that expenses were about £1 Is a day. An average of eight appeals wer« heard yearly. As far as Wellington was concerned there had not been an appeal tor two years. Tho Prime Minister: Would not what you suggest place tho Tramway Union under the most favoured nation's clauso ? Any appeal by the Tramway Union would mean that the representatives would be paid by the Government while other unions would have to pay their own costs.

Mr. Hobbs said ho could not recollect any other union where an appeal board had been set up. Mr. Coates: I liavo'not really studied tho matter. It seems to me to be a distinct departure from what wo have been used to. He added he would consider the matter and givo a reply later.