ARBITRATION COURT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16530, 14 September 1921, Page 11

ARBITRATION COURT.

MR MCCULLOUGH'S RESIGNATION. STATEMENT CITAIXEXCEO Kc'it interest is ln»inc; takon in ttio attitqdc of ilio Government towards filling the vacancy on the Arbitration - -r‘ J r ignores t.he re-norninatioiL r -'C’C^cjagn, 1 Irabcur unions are qu2?>*» rijgrjjy to raise a unanimous protest.' and to threaten to seek another method of- settling; disputes. On tho other hand, if Mi M’Cullough is reappointed the deadlock over tv ages will probably continue. In tho meantime Lalx>nr union nffi ■ tals challenge tho statement made Ivy the Attorney .General to the effect that tho casual vacancy occasioned by Mr M/Cul lough’s resignation creates a vacancy not merely in his office, as nominated member of tlv Court, but also in the tenure of the position of acting nominated member, held »t present by Mr Reardon. ~ . . nominations bom industrial union* of workers must lx; taken and the Governor-General must bo later advised to select two names from persons iso nominated, one to be a member of the Court in place of Mr M'Cullough and the other to be acting nominated member ” ** That statement is open to very considerable criticism/* said Mr ( . Renn yesterday morning. ’ln previous years, the unions have been asked to nominate two definite persons, a workers* representative, and a deputy, or a ■'ting representative. No vr the Attor-ney-General says that the nominations are solely for tho position of workers' representative and that the GovernorGeneral is guided as to his choice of deputy merely by the voting;. On the last occasion on which members of the Court of Arbitration u-ero appointed, the unions were requested to recommend the names of two persons, one to he the nominated member and one to ho the acting nominated member of the Court.” Section 72 says: ** Every casual v scanty in the nominated membership of or acting nominated membership of the Court shall bo supplied in the.same manner as m the case of the original appointment, but every person appointed to fill a eaaual vacancy shall bold office*. only for the residue of the term of his predecessor.* ’ Providing; for original appointments, section 66 says : "Kadi industrial union may within one month after being requested to do so by the Governor recommend to the Governor the names of two persons, one to ho the nominated member and one to he tho acting nominated member of the Court.” This clause goes on to pay that the Governor shall select from the tvro persons nominated 011 c to be workers’ re-' presentalive and one to be ■deputyworkers 5 representative. '• It is quite dear."* said Mr Renn. *• that the acting nominated workers’ representative holds quite a separate position, just ns different from the position of nominated representative aft the position of a vice-president on any body as from the position of president. Mr Reardon if still acting nominated member, and Mr Reardon’s position ns a. candidate for the office of workers* represent a tiv/' cvn (lie Arbitration Court is not a lean! one. as he has not \ot resigned his position as deputy.”