MR. LAURENSON EXPLAINS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1446, 22 May 1912, Page 6

MR. LAURENSON EXPLAINS.

"A FOOL Ott A QUIBBLING LAWYEIi." The lion, G. Laurenson (Minister fos Labour) made a statement to a rcportcD yesterday concerning a remark of his! which has beeu tlio subject of bom© critic cism, "Tho position is this," eoid tho Minis-' to, "Air. Moriarty and others iill? Dm Fiiniitnro Trades Union waiicc on mo about ton days ago in' reference !x! certain amendments which they wished to have mads in the Industrial Conciliof lion and Arbitration Act. Mr. Moriarty read n curtain section and asked 1110 hotf 1 would interpret it. I told him what-1 thought. Mr. Moriarty said that was tha way ho interpreted it. I sud 'anyono but •a iool or a quibbling lawyer would wad it in exactly tao same way.' Mr. Moriarty then told me that Jlr. Justice Sim read it m exactly the opposite way. Until that moment tho name of Sir. Justice Sim had never been mentioned. 1 never alluded to llr. Justice Sim at all. Criticisms of !ny remarks appeared in the newspapers alter I had gone to Taranaki,' a,n<l I did not know of them until after ray rotu ril to Wellington. I repeat that mv remarks had no personal reference. Nothing waa' said about Judge Sim's interpretation ofc the ecction until after I had iuiid what? I did eay,"

."LAMENTABLE IGNORANCE." IBr Tclccfaoh—Press A^soclaUim.l Dutiedfn, May 21. In connection with recent criticism ofi tho Arbitration Court by tho Hou. G. Laurenson, Mr. W. Scott, a member of tho Court, to-day expressed amazement at tho Minister's remarks. Mr. Scott said that tho Minister had not only shown lack of judgment in his remarks concerning tho Judge of tha Court, but also lamentable ignorance of ri!'i° v 011 < I llC:, t' oa °f indentures. Iho ease referred to had boon argued by. two of the _ ablest counsel in New Zea-' laud, and the judgment was a, carefully) written one. Mr. .Scott also said that tlitf Minister was far astray in his opinion* regarding tho dispute between Nearinff and Co. and other employers and tin Auckland Waterside Workers' Union.