THE BONUS AWARD

Waikato Times, Volume 93, Issue 14538, 9 December 1920, Page 5

THE BONUS AWARD

THE 1919 BASIS CORRECT DECISION ON MONDAY LIKELY. UNION INTERFERENCE RESENTED. By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, Thursday. When the Arbitration Court sat today, the president, Mr Justice Stringer, said that the Court had not yet been able to arrive at a decision in regard tithe general question of a bonus, but would be able to do so in a few days. Further special applications would be. adjourned until Monday, when judgment would probably be given on the main issue. In regard to the latest contention on behalf of the unions that the basis adopted for the first bonus in March, 1919, was correct, the Court had conferred with the Government Flatistician, and he might as well state at once that it was not necessary to go into tlii' points raised for the reason that rightly or wrongly the Court adopted a certain basis in 1919, and it was quite impossible to review that basis. If the Court insisted on retaining the basis, then it must assume that the Statistician’s figures are correct. Mr Reardon: “I suppose that is the position if the Court cannot sec its way to alter the basis.” The president said that any altenn lion now would lend to all sorts of complications. Mr Reardon said he must necessarily accept the computation of the Government Statistician. Mr McCombs said that if the Court found it impossible to alter the basis it could not alter the bonuses already granted. If two mistakes had been made they should stand. The president: “We will go into the whole question.” When Mr Reardon attempted to show that the employers’ agitation against the bonus commenced before the Court had made an announcement, the president said he did not want to go into that question. He regarded d iif an insult to suggest that the Court was likely to be influenced by any agitation. The Court strongly resented such interference.