EARLY DECISION LIKELY

Chronicle (Levin), 30 March 1949, Page 7

EARLY DECISION LIKELY

Press AssocicDtion)

Hearing Of Claim For Wage Rise Concludes

(Per

WELLINGTON, Marco zu. A rcquest that the Court issue a general order was made by Mr. K. M. Baxter, the secretary of the New Zea land Federation of Labour, When the Court of Arbitration today resumed its hearing of the applieations by the workers and the eiuployei's for a stan dard wage pronouncement. In the course oi hi& suuiming up, Mr. Baxter stated: "The iwportant issues before the Court. are, we submit, thai the discrepancies between wages and other rewards should be satisfactorily adjusted; that the discontgnt in the minds of ernployees will be allayed: that peace and goodwill will prevail in industry; that production will uicrease: and that the econo.nic progress of the Dominion will be preserved and acce.l erated. "We „are .^ure that the Court will give eareful consideratiou to all tln treiids and tendeucies, and will givt; every consideration to our cJaim for the restoring of the iuconies of the ealaries and wages group in 1949 to tlw position they enjoyed in ' 1938-39 in relation to the reniuneration received by other sections of the couimuuity. ' ' The eniployers opposed the inakiny of a general order ainending the rates

of wages in all awards and agree ■inents rather than a pronouncement oi. . stanilard rates of wages, said Mr. H. 1 Butland, for the New Zealand Employ ers' Federation, replyiitg lo the sul> inissions of Mr. K. M. Baxter. A gen eral order would have the effeet of con tinuing the existiug margins abovstandaid rates vvhetlier established illegally or legaily, and thero v>a-: ttiiiple ev.idenee that liiany of ti: 44111 weri established illegally. Mr. Butland said the Court should not make an orde» whieh could be inlerpreted as authoris ing an addition to an illegal rate 0. wages. If the Court did make a gen eral order, Mr. Butland sgid, it shoub* exelude from its operation all awardmade sinee October 1, 1947, which eon tained rates of wages higher than tho.sc operati.\e from that date. These award> eould be examined separateiy and ap propriate adjustmeuts made. Mr. But land asked that any pronouncement in creasing wages should operate noi earlier than six Weeks after the dat.e of issue of -the Court 's deeision to eu able awards aud agreements to be amended before the operative date. Keplving, Mr. Baxter submitted that at least the Court should make any in creases awarded operative froni the date iLs deeision was made. A liint that an early deeision 011 the wage applications before tlu- Courl niay be forthcomiug was given in the cldsing stkges o'f its IreaT'ing. ' f)ainhj> the discussion about a suitable operative date for any increase that might be awarded the president (Mr. Justice |Tyndall) remarked that Easter might. embarrass the Court in its work of niaking consequent- ailiendmonts tb awards and agreements. Congratulations on the dignified and respectful maimer in which tliey hau conducted their cases vvere oll'ered to Mr. 11. F. Butland (eniployers) and Mr. Iv. M. Baxter (workers) by the president of the Court. A large volume of material had been presented in a verv cj-editable manner, said his Honour, and there had been a total abseuce of aerinionv. llis Honour quoted an "aneient philosophcr" to the effeet that but for injustices inen would uot know the meaning of justice, and suggested that perhaps Mr. Baxter was grateful to Mr. Butland aceordingly. Nevertheless he asked the advocates tn remeniber "next time" that from tlir point of view of those listeniiig ou the bench a little disharmony might not be unvvelcome as a means of bauishing tlxc

"intolsrable monotony. " His Honour expressed the hope that as iu the. pas't the Court 's deeisioij. would be ac.eQptecl' as an honest endeavour to reconeile the eonflieting poiuts of view. Both advocates thanked the Court for its attentive. and considerate hearing.