AN UNUSUAL SITTING

Southland Times, Issue 23182, 24 April 1937, Page 8

AN UNUSUAL SITTING

The Arbitration Court NO PRESIDING JUDGE (United Press Association) AUCKLAND, April 23. A sitting of the Arbitration Court of very unusual character in that there was no presiding Judge present was held in Auckland today. This special procedure was necessitated through the absence of Mr Justice Page on sick leave and was adopted in an effort to expedite the business that has accumulated for the Court. The business before the Court was recommendations made in 22 industrial disputes in which complete agreement had been reached between the parties in the Conciliation Council. The Court was represented by Mr A. L. Monteith, assessor for the unions, and Mr W. Cecil Prime, the employers’ representative. Explaining the position at the outset Mr Monteith, who presided, said that this sitting had been fixed by Mr Justice Northcroft under Section 78 of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, 1925. The sittings would be adjourned to Christchurch where any awards would be made on April 29 when the Court was properly constituted. In the meantime, so that the parties could get their awards, and to save undue delay, Mr Prime and he would hear the applications. It would then not be necessary for the parties to be in attendance at the adjourned meeting in Christchurch unless they so desired. In several cases in which there were applications for exemption Mr Monteith explained that Mr Prime and he could not deal with these, and if an award was to be made in Christchurch, it would be necessary for the parties to consent to the applications being struck out in the meantime. An application to add them again could be made at the next sittings of the Court in Auckland.

The parties agreed to this suggestion in every case. In almost ail the disputes the employers were represented by Mr H. J. Bishop, of Wellington, assistant secretary of the New Zealand Employers’ Federation. The unions concerned were represented by about a dozen different secretaries.