LABOUR AND THE ARBITRATION COURT.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1411, 11 April 1912, Page 4

LABOUR AND THE ARBITRATION COURT.

Reasonableness, and a capacity to see more than one side of a question affecting labour, are unfortunately rare things in delegates to Labour conferences. It is all the more necessary, therefore, that acknowledgment should be made of exceptions to this rule. Yesterday the Trades Councils' Conference was asked to pass a strongly-worded' motion censuring Mr. Justice Sim's treatment of union representatives at sittings of the Arbitration Court and affirming his responsibility for a large number of the cancellations of union registration. Several members of the conference insisted against the motion that the Judge always treated the union representatives properly, and one of them, Mr. AV. W. Naugiiton, put in a timely protest against those who expect that the Court must always give concessions. He also very properly insisted that if the conference wished to object to Judge Sim as the wrong man for the post they should snv so plainly. We are glad to note that he expressed I lie opinion, which wc are sure is the opinion of th" best nf the union leaders, that; tho President should lie a Supreme Court judge. An Otagn delegate's objection to the motion was the simple but convincing one that it was not a truthful motion. Although the motion was rejected only on the chairman's easting vote, we ar 1 sure that tho conference did a (rood thing for Hie Labour cause by letting it b" seen (hat they are a minority in Hi" ''Labour movement." who fancy thai, everything--public, l.ogislatmv. Court, and Judge--must bow down before (lie greater dignity, of union officialdom.