The Arbitration Court.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19146, 1 November 1927, Page 8

The Arbitration Court.

The statement on the Arbitration Court adopted yesterday by the Associated Chambers of Commerce should, and will, be read with respect, but it will be on general grounds rather than as a comment on the Government's Bill. The Chambers want to see the Court continued, with revised functions and constitution; to have payment by results,, and limitation of output made a penal offence; to have wages based on the Dominion's economic position, and not on " such artificial conditions as " the size of a man's family or the pre"war cost of living"; to have preference to unionists abolished, and industrial awards made more elastic; and in order that these and some other generally desirable changes may be brought about and effectively maintained, they want the Court itself to be reconstituted and made a permanent tribunal of three experts, two of them to be judges of the Supreme Court,, and the third an " economist of note "

who will especially " safeguard the interests of the general public." It is safe enough to say that the adoption of most of these suggestions would give lis a better Court, and better working conditions in industry, than Ave have as matters stand, and if the Court is to remain the Government would do well to consider each of the recommendations with some care. But the truth really is that it does not matter very much whether the Court is reconstituted as the Chambers suggest or carried on with the changes in personnel and function outlined in the Government's Bill. What has to be decided is whether the Court is worth carrying on, and it does not appear that this has been fully considered yet either by the Associated Chambers of Commerce or by the Government. If it were really the ease that the Court is "tl\e sheet "anchor of the workers," as the Minister for Labour still maintains, or the sheet anchor of anybody or anything, these changes could be supported with some ca<,.'i , ness, but it is very uncertain that this is the case, and even the elaborate questionnaire sent out by the Chambers did not establish very clearly what proportion of the manufacturers, or industrial or political leaders, or merchants of the Dominion still think that the Coivrt is indispensable to peace.