READY TO START NEXT WEEK?

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 48, 19 November 1937, Page 6

READY TO START NEXT WEEK?

— Preas Association )

The Second Arbitration Court MINISTER'S HOPES

(By Telegraph

WELLINGTON, Last Night. The Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill (No. 3) was introdueed by Governor-General's message in the House of Eepresentatives to-night and read the first time. In moving the second reading of the • measure, the Minister of Labour, the Hon. H. Armstrong, said that in the Bill before the House last week it was provided that a judge of the Supreme Court should be appointed to the second Arbitrarion Court, but it was _ascertained that for a considerable time to come judges of the Supreme Court would have to devote th'eir full attention to the work of that Court, and the Bill made it possible for anyone- suffi- * ciently qulified to be appointed to the position of second Arbitration Court Judge. , Mr. W. J. Hunter, of Christchurch, had been approached. to take the position, and the Minister hoped he would accept. Mr. Armstrong said he hoped the a position to take up its duties next second Arbitration Court would be in week. In answer to a question by the Opposition, he said he hoped the new. judge would be in . Auckland next Monday, and the Court would be in a. position to commence the . hearing of eases by next Wednesday. It was doubtful if any practical lawyer in New Zealand would be prepared to take the position for one year only and sever his connections with his practice, and it would. hardly be reasonable to expect him to do so. The Leader of. the - Opposition, .the Hon. Adam- Hamilton, said he;supposed they would have to assist the Minister out of the dijeulty. The necessity for the Bill indicated the lack of appreciation by the Minister' of the work of the Court. Mr. S. O. Holland (Nat., Christchurch Ndrth) said he knew Mr.> Hunter intimately and he was sure he would uphold the honour of .the Court and all concerned. He was eminent in the industrial branch of hiS profession. However, Mr. ' Holland : criticised the Government for its failure to reeognise the necessity for the apppintment of a p'ermaneht judge : in its earlier legislation, and now they had -a second judge permanently' appointed at' £2,000 ; a year. . ' Mr. Armstrong, in.reply,.thanked the Opposition for the attitude it had adopted. He said that only" the second judge himself would be appointed permanently, the assessors holding office for only a year. As soon as the arrears of work faeing the Court hadbeen cleared up, one Court' would deal with compensation c'ases alone, and the othpy with industrial cases. - The Bill' was -then put' through * the fnmmittfifl - sF.noms a'nrl Tfia.d ! the "third

time. ■ •• - ' • ■ * The" passing oi the whole measure occupied little over half an hour. The House rose at 10.30. The Bill itself arises from the decision of the Government to invite a practising lawyer, rather than a judge of the Supreme Court, -to take office as president of the second Arbitration Court. It states that a person qualifled to be appointed as judge' of the Supreme Court' may be appointed as an additional judge of the Court of Arbitration. The new judge is to be appointed with the same status and privileges as the president of the existing Arbitration Court.