ARBITRATION COURT

New Zealand Times, Volume XLI, Issue 9534, 16 December 1916, Page 9

ARBITRATION COURT

LABOUR’S REPRESENTATIVE NEW BLOOD IVANTED BY THE UNIONS. . It has boon decided by various "Wellington unions to nominate Mr IV. Wiles, chairman of the Tliorndon branch of tho Engine-drivers, Firemen and Cleaners* Association, as tbo workers’ representative on the Arbitration Court in opposition to Mr A. J. McCullough, the present representative. Mr Wiles has been in the railway service for tho past seventeen years, and has been an active member of tho Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants for many years. When the Government gave official recognition to tbo E.F. and C. Association, ho threw in his lot with, that body. Since that time lie has been closely associated with its growth. In 1914 ho represented tho Wellington and Nelson districts at the Grand Council Conference at Christchurch'. NEW CANDIDATE’S POLICY, In the course,of a circular letter to his fellow railway workers, Air Wiles states: “For several years I havo advocated and taken a prominent part in trying to bring about a federatidh of tho tivo railway societies, and thou as a federated body linking up with other transport workers. Despite many difficulties there is every promise of this happy result being brought about in the near future. ‘‘My interest in. trade unionism has not been confined, to railway workers only. In order to get a grip of the economic position of tho working classes, I have for many years been a -close student of economics, making a special study of the constitution, procedure, and : practice. of arbitration machinery in vogue, not. only in this country hut also in Australia and other countries, i therefore claim to possess tho knowledge, qualifications, and capacity to fittingly represent- all sections of workers on the Court of Arbitration. . - . ; "Tho industrial unrest prevailing in this country to-day largely is a result of the unfair awards granted by the court, and these without any apparent dissension or protest . from the workers’ representative thereon,/.clearly points to'him being out of- touch with tho present-day working - class thought, and be it'/ remembered.' -.that tho destinies of the railway workers are inseparably bound up with those of outside workers, and if through defective organisation or unsympathetic arbitration awards, the condition of the outside workers becomes had,- then those conditions will most certainly reflect themselves inside the railway service.”' • :...r’ "LOST HIS PUNCH.” It is felt in circles which support Mr Wiles that the present"Labour representative on the Arbitration Court has “lost his punch,” to use a sportingphrase. The. opinion -is expressed by union officials that his attitude, isniuch too passive. Even allowing for Tito difficulties of: his / pasition,-.st,;is. „ felt that ho should express, at least, the opinions of the workers from his seat on the Arbitration Court bench, and not allow awards manifestly unjust to the class he represents to be made without giving full and clear, expression to his dissent. This, it is said, w.onld havo at least a valuable moral effect by drawing public . attention to the claims of 'Labour, and -Are scant justice they frequently receive from tho court.