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Otago Daily Times, Issue 15986, 31 January 1914, Page 8

THE'ARBITRATION COURT JUDGE. We are in a position this morning to announce that Mr T. W. Stringer, K.C., of Christcliurch, has been appointed the new judge of the Arbitration Court. Mr Stringer was admitted to the Bar 34 years ago, and has long held a leading position in the profession in Canterbury, where for over a score of years he has acted as Crown Prosecutor. He is a man who enjoys the reputation of being a very sound and able lawyer, and it may be confidently affirmed concerning him that he possesses in abundant degree the legal qualifications to justify the bestowal upon him of the appointment which he has now received. The successful performance of the duties that/devolve upon the judge of the Arbitration Court demands, of course, as must be generally recbgniead, and a-s we have suggested in the preceding article, the possession of exceptional qualities by the occupant of the position. The qualities chiefly required—as was said by

Sir Joshua Williams in tho interview which he courteously accorded several days ago to a member of our staff —are, indeed, of a different kind from those that would make an admirable judge of the Supieme Court. It is the recognition of this that has lod in some quarters to the suggestion that the principal member of the Arbitration Court should not be a judge at all, but a man of commercial experience. ..This suggestion has gained the approval of many persons whose opinion on the subject is entitled to the highest respect; Even, however, If it were more widely entertained than it is at ths present time—for most people, we imagine, cling to the belief that it is preferable that the president of the Court should take to the discharge of his duties the prestige attachable to one who holds the status of a Supreme Court judge—any idea that the constitution of the Arbitration Court should be changed must foT the time being be set aside. The work of the Court must go on, and tho Court must be constituted in the manner provided for m tho existing legislation. It remains to be seen whether Mr Stringer can succeed in so performing the duties of his office as to recreate in tho minds of the community as a whole the conviction that a person holding the status of a judgo of the Supreme Court, whether he be a member of the Supreme C-ourt or not, is best fitted to preside over the Arbitration Court. We hope that he will succeed. He has a great opportunity presented to him. The system of industrial arbitration has entered upon a new lease of life in New Zealand. Its existence was seriously threatened not many months ago, but there has been a pronounced revulsion of feeling in favour of it. Much depends, however, upon the administration of the system by the new judge. It will probably be necessary for "him to divest the proceedings of the Court of a good deal of the legal formality which is associated with them, and it will be certainly desirable that he should do so. The Court deals with what have • been described as the bread-and-butter concerns of tho working people, and it will be well if the working people can be made to feel at home, as it were, in the Court when questions of vital - interest to them are being discussed and dealt with in it. Some of them have been pleased, for inadequate reasons, to declare that they have lost confidence in tho Court. When they have said this they have generally betrayed an erroneous conception of the functions of that institution. But the feeling they have expressed is one which must, if possible, be Tooted out of their minds. Upon Mr Stringer, in the circumstances, a heavy responsibility lies. The best wishes of the public will accompany him upon his assumption of a very onerous, very difficult, and exceedingly honourable position.