LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 115, 9 February 1920, Page 5

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

THE ARBITRATION COURT

Sir,—ln your issue of to-day a letter appears over the nom de plume "An Elector," who writes very lengthily 011 strikes, go-slow, and cost of living, and refers to the fact of an Arbitration Court being constituted for the redressing of genuine grievances, and that tho workers only abide by such decisions when they are in their favour. I recommend "An Elector" to look 115 the annual reports of the 'leparcnent of Labour for years" past, and therein 110 will find the number of employers who have been penalised for breaking the awards and agreements of the Court of Arbitration, and it will astonish him to find that for every worker who dors not abide, by the said awards and i.gn "'merits of the same Court there is over in 0 employers who break them. Then "An Elector" goes on tu state that tho Arbitration Court is nil impartial tribunal—as he believes it to be —well let me inform "An Elector" that tho Arbitration Court is not an impartial tribunal, because of its constitution. Why, the employers' representative receives in addition to tho salary allowed bv tho Government to him, ai.other .£3OO yearly paid by the New Zenltnd Employers' Federation to put the brike on the Court—l refer him to Ilui-sard for confirmation of this.

Anyhow, if "An Elector" is Tcally in search of the truth about the Arbitration Court functioning as impartial tribunal, he ought to attend the sittings of same which opens in Wellington next wo?k; listen to the cases and ai'turnc-nts put up therein, and then peruse the decisions 011 the same when given, it may convince liirn, and givo to him the reasons why the workers have Inst -ill confidence in that tribunal— T i-m etv.. WAGE SLAVE.

February 7, 1920.