Labour Matters

Southland Times, Issue 12124, 2 May 1908, Page 2

Labour Matters

EMPLOYEES COURT COSTS. PROVISION FOR THEM WANTED. (P«r United Frees Association.) I AUCKLAND. May 1. OBc«*idn wu ta'sen by Mr C. or. secretary of the Auckland Employers' Association, at the Arbitration Court today, to draw attention to the necessity for matin® provision whereby employer* —when cited before the Court without adequate reason—may obtain costs against tho Inspector. "Here," said Mr. Drosvejior, "we have a case in which the Union makes a statement to the Insftector of Awards alleging that two 'men have sJau|.ihterod cattle on a certain date, when it has been proved that they were not slaughtered at all. and also thflt they were not in the slaughtering house that day. la this case tho respondent, together with his principal employees, had been waiting for three days for the proroediinrs to come on and has no means ot recovering any expenses at all. In cases, where employers are charged with committing oflenced and these are proved *► eainst tßom they are usually mulcted to a fine and compelled to pay witnesses’ expenses, Some alteration should be m*do in the Act whereby, in cases that are e£isolutely frivolous, the employers should he allowed expenses. 1 d<3 not tneStt to reflect on tho Inspector, «a he acts on information given Him t»y the Union. This is very often Inaccurate-" Mr. S. Brown; Yon will BaVe «5 t?«t rhe Aet altered. Mr. Grosveoor : We used to - tie allow*® coats until the Act was altered. His Honor: The provision was ullpprfti into the Consolidated Act. The togWai tare really did not know what tt was dot ln«.Mr. GroSvehoi?: The Employers’ Taßer*ahicna during the recent conference is W*U llngton submitted the matter to tlh Csh--inet, but up te the present so heed hMF bets taken «f It.