STATE RAILWAYS

Southland Times, Issue 21195, 23 September 1930, Page 7

STATE RAILWAYS

ARBITRATION AWARDS APPLICATION TO SET ASIDE COMMONWEALTH’S OBJECTION (United Press’ Assn.—By Telegraph—Copyright.) (Rec. 8,p.m.) Melbourne, September 22. Application is being made before the Commonwealth Arbitration Court. for the setting aside of all awards affecting railway men in the eastern States in order to permit economies and retrenchment. There was a dramatic development today when Mr Evatt, K.C., asked leave to intervene on behalf of the Commonwealth Government to oppose the application. He argued that the whole system of arbitration was imperilled. The Government was vitally .interested seeing that full effect had been given to its industrial legislation, including the maintenance of awards, and if this was not done a position of national emergency worse than that now existing might be created. Mr Evatt alluded to the possibility of a serious industrial upheaval, and submitted that if the State railway systems were allowed to w.ork without award then similar applications were bound to arise in regard to private employers. The Chief Judge, Mir Dethridge, said the Court was not concerned with the rights of the Commonwealth or the States, much less with the political aspects of the case. It was concerned only with the rights of the Railway Commissioners as employers and their employees arising under their awards. The Court was equally conscious of the fact that the setting aside of awards might cause discontent and possibly lead to a stoppage of operations. Mr Evatt’s application to intervene was deferred until Monday next.

After days of strenuous argument last week the Arbitration Court decided to hear applications by the Railway Commissioners of Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania for an order to set aside the awards • of the various railway unions.