ARBITRATION COURT FINES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2116, 26 June 1907, Page 3

ARBITRATION COURT FINES.

JUSTICE WILLIAMS’ DECISION. APPEAL BY THE GOVERNMENT. Press Association. WELLINGTON, this day. The Government have decided to appeal against the decision of Mr justice Williams, delivered at Dunedin last Monday, refusing to grant a writ of attachment against one 11. Miller, who had failed to pay a fine oi £3 imposed by tho Arbitration Court for taking part in a slaughtermen’s strike.

In the course of a speech delivered at Stirling, Mr Jas. Allen, mombor for Bruce, referring to tho judgment of Mr Justice Williams—against enforcement of fines imposed on slaughtermen for taking pna-t. in a strike, said it meant that, so far as tho enforcement of a fine was concerned, tlioArbitration Act was not worth tho paper it was written on. Men might striko and bo fined, but there was no possibility of enforcing tho fines. Mr Justice Williams said tho Act was entirely a ono-sidod ono, and that Parliament must deal with it. Tho nowspapors were discussing it, and it was suggested by somo that Parliament should make it possible to put a num in prison under the Act. If it dill so, nil ho could say would ho that Parliament would mako itself tho laughting stock, not only in ther colony, but of tho wholo world. “Imagine,” ho said, “putting 50, 100 or oven 300 or 400 iron in goal who refused to abido by tho award. Tho colony would not stand that, and some other mot hod must bo found. By putting a man in goal you would force him into a position where ho would starve his wife and children, a position no man should bo forced into. Mr. Allen added that ho know not what Ministers might, suggest, but it was a difficult problem, and ho could not see how it could bo solved unless by tho principal of conciliation. Reason should prevail among men and employers, and if decisions of the court were found to bo reasonable they should bo accopotd by both parties.