TRADES AND LABOR.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1728, 20 April 1906, Page 3

TRADES AND LABOR.

THE ARBITRATION COURT,

(Pm Pres* Association.) Christchurch, lest night. The third day’s sitting of the’Trades Conference was held to-day, A motioD that stipendiary magistrates be given power to adjudioate in oases of enforcement of awards and industrial agreements, their deoision to be final, was dis oussid. On tho motion of Mr Hampton (Wellington) an addition was made to enable experts to sit with the Magistrate in cases of application by either party. The Conference, af:er disoussion, rejee'ed Mr Ba*r's motion, “ That the Conciliation and Arbitration Aot, 1960, be amended in

the following direotion : When parties to a dispute agree to accept the reoommenda tion of the Board of Conciliation, suoh recommendation shall have the power of an award of the Arbitration Court, and shall coyer the whole of tho industrial district iu which the district is filed, subject to the provisions of section 59 ef the principal Act, suoh provisions to apply to all persons in a particular industry.” Mr Breen’s motioD, " That the Conc liation and Arbitration Aot be amended ti provide two Arbitration Coutts, one for the North Island and one for the Sjuth Island,” was lo t, end Mr Breen moved, 11 That section 4 ol tbo Conciliation and Arbitration Act be

amended, adding after the prosoribod foe 1 thirty days after the filing of tho Board’s recommendation it shall come into force, and shall operate and bo enforceab'o in the same manner and in the same respect as an award of the Court, until such time as tbo Court shall have made an award iu the oas’, provided eisber party appeals against the Board’s recommenda-

tion.’ " Tho object of the motion was to compel that a recommendation of the Board should remain in operation until the Court has an opportunity of renewing it. Discussion is proceeding. Later.— At the Labor Conference to-day a long discueßion took plaoe relating to the personnel of the Arbitration Court. Mr D. McLaren (Wellington) moved that this conference has no confidence in the Arbi tration Court as at present constituted. He olaimed that tho Court was giving decisions egainst the weight of evidence and on abstract grounds. The motion was seconded by Mr W. H. Hampton (Wellington). After considerable discussion tbo motion was lost by 6 to 11. During the discussion on proposed amendments to the Arbitration Act, a motion was adopted that the provisions of the Act should be extended to all State employees.