ARBITRATION UNSATIS FACTORY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18549, 9 May 1922, Page 10

ARBITRATION UNSATIS FACTORY

AUSTRALIAN 1 PRIME MINISTER’S -O OPINION. ' (F*o«Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY. April 19. ’’ The opinion that the arbitration system . was most unsatisfactory, and should be superseded by industrial tribunals, was ex-, pressed in a recent speech by the Prime Minister (Mr Hughes). Mr Hughes declared that the labour quesiion greatest problem facing Australia. many years the principle of ft disputes and conditions of I ■ wages. byTirbitratiop courts had been acjcepted, he said. Unfortunately there was a |'V movement on foot to abolish all-methods of settling disputes by precognised tribunals; and <£• io resort to the old methods of strikes and ip lockouts. With this view he did not agree.. OHe believed that the settlement--oF disputes by recognised tribunals was the recognition St <if. ithe principles upon Which civilisation was progressing. They had set up tribunals to I; settle international disputes, and to prevent pi war; In the industrial sphere arbitration cour tß endeavoured to- protect afad do evenhanded justice to the different sections of p -society. He thought that was right, and felt Si.'quite sure that the people of Australia would F-'!ssF%»r*»ek to the old method-of direct ' acti<*? l '*s -odvooated by both sides. “Lathe opinion of Mr Hughes the present jpl eystJm of arbitration courts in Australia was pi jnbsJ unsatisfactory. The much more preK : -f«l l affl« method of settling industrial, disputes Ilfe wpuW be the substitution -of tribunals for of arbitration. On these tribunals llpi ’thoro should /be an efjual. number of em||Ki;'ploygre apd employees, wi+h an impartial Mg’ dadnatti who should sot be t, lawyer.