WORKERS’ COURT

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20892, 23 November 1937, Page 6

WORKERS’ COURT

NEW JUDGE SWORN IN ASSOCIATES NOT YET APPOINTED By Telegraph—Press Association AUCKLAND, November 22. The new judge of the recently created second Arbitration Court, Mr W. J. Hunter, of Christchurch, was sworn in at the Supreme Court by Mr Justice Ostler. The ceremony took place in Chambers. Mr Hunter had arrived from the south this morning. Later in the afternoon the new judge and Mr Justice O'Regan of the original Arbitration Court, conferred with the Minister of Labour, the Hon. H. T. Armstrong, and the Minister subsequently met Messrs W. Cecil Prime and A. L. Monteith, employers and employees’ members respectively of the original court. After the conference Mr Armstrong stated that the initial allocation of work between the two courts had been made, and he hoped the new court would be functioning within the next few days. Mr Justice O’Regan and his colleagues had an accumulation of 17 industrial disputes which had been heard and which had still to be disposed of. The court would accordingly suspend public sittings until its arrears of work had been overtaken, and the new court would proceed to hear cases on the list as soon as its full personnel had been brought together in Auckland. Regarding the new appointments, the Minister said those of Messrs W. E. Anderson and D. I. Macdonald, nominees of the New Zealand Employees Federation for the offices of employers the member and deputy-member respectively were being made immediately under the recent amending legislation which allowed the usual polls of employers and workers’ unions to be dispensed with. The choice of the employees’ member and his deputy had been referred to the New Zealand Federation of Labour with which nearly all the workers unions were affiliated. He understood the federation was holding a meeting in Wellington to-night to make nominations. When they had been received there would be no delay in making the formal appointments. It was hoped the new employees’ member would be able to leave for Auckland immediately, and second court would begin its sittings as soon as he arrived, possibly on Wednesday. Mr H. F. Butland, deputy registrar of the original court, would be appointed registrar of the second court. Asked whether the Government was proceeding with its plan for appointing Industrial magistrates, Mr Armstrong said the legislation merely provided that the Arbitration Court might delegate certain of its powers to stipendiary magistrates. The idea in the Government’s mind, however, had been to appoint some magistrates specially for the purpose. This was a matter for the Minister of Justice, with whom he would have to consult before anything was done.

WORKERS’ REPRESENTATIVE By Telegraph- ‘‘ress Association WELLINGTON, November 22. At to-night’s meeting of the Wellington Trades Council, the ballot for workers' representative on the second Court of Arbitration resulted in Mr A. W. Croskery (Wellington) receiving the nomination. Mr A. Parlane was nominated for the position at deputy assessor. The result of this ballot, along with those of other trades councils affiliated with the Federation of Labour will be considered to-morrow by the national executive when the final decision will be announced. There were 13 nominations for the two positions. It is understood that the final choice for the position of workers representative is likely to fall on Mr Croskery, who is well-known in the industrial labour movement in Wellington. He is a member of the Wellington Hospital Board, and has taken a prominent part as advocate in industrial disputes. Mr Croskery has been

connected wltl the Shop Assistants’ Union since 1911 and is at present national secretary of the New Zealand Shop Assistants’ Federation. He was a member of the shops and offices commission which toured the Dominion in connection with the Shops and Offices Act.