ARBITRATION COURT

Hokitika Guardian, 2 December 1920, Page 3

ARBITRATION COURT

(Per Press Association.) 1 WELLINGTON, December 1, J At the Arbitration Court, Mr Malcolm Fraser explained the confusion that had arisen between the monthly average of the increase in the cost of Jiving and the making of an average. ; After this explanation Mr Reardon said-“ Does the Court feel that its pronouncement has been disturbed by the statement of-tlie-Government Statistician? If it does inot, then we J need go no further.” ' v j Mr Justice Stringer:—“l may say, j at once, I think it was a most unfor- ' tunate thing that Mr Fraser’s duties should have called him away from the Dominion just after the basis for, computing the average had been agreed upon between the court, and myself, and I think, the then representatives of the employers. I remember the interview, of which Mr Fraser speaks, , with the Acting-Government Statistician, and I am bound to say he must have completely misunderstood any observation of mine if he assumed that : ho was requested or authorised to de--1 part from the method which had al- , ready been agreed upon, and which I ’ myself thought, and have always thought, is the more correct basis on I which the bonus should be paid.. Nor 1 should ,I, ; of course, have had any quj thority for taking upon myself to authorise any departure from theh cor--1 r ect method. The communication which j was made afterwards, after that interview, and which gave us the basis upon which the first bonus was granted, came, of course, before myself and the other members of the court and certainly, although it is possible the thing may have been capable 0 f having the interpretation mentioned, m ther I nor my colleagiues understood in the least degree that there had been in the calculation a departure from the original basis. I think the position is unfortunate. The final calculations for the 9s bonus, which were supplied by ; Mr Fraser himself, were made 0 n the assumption that the two previous ones had been made in accordance with the new desire of the court. That is the position as far as the court is concerned.

| During the afternoon Mr T. Bloodworth addressed the Court on the state of various industries mentioned by Mr Pryor in bis speech on Monday. He the employers were endear vouring to create a needless panic. ] Mr Harold Beauchamp, chairman of the Bank of N.Z. was called by Mr Pryor as a witness for the employers. He said he had prepared figures which • he thought indicated that the country ■ was passing through one of the gravest financial crisis it had ever experienced. He would hazard the opinion, as far as this bonus was concerned, that.jt would lie an extremely difficult matter for the manufacturers, employers and others to stand the additional strain it was proposed to place on them. If New Zealand continued to enlarge the vicious circle, it would in the end meet with a crisis of unparalleled magnitude. ! Other witnesses having been heard the proceedings were adjourned till t r

morrow. i WELLINGTON, December 2. The bonus hearing was resumed at the Arbitration Court to-day. H. D. Bennett (Chairman of tlie Master Grocers Association) called by Mr Pryor, said that the prices of grocercies were coming down. The markets appeared to be demoralised and grocery firms were unloading stocks. The trade would not. suffer seriously if a bonus of 9s were granted. It would represent only one per cent on the turnover. » The Judge over-ruled a protest by tbe Labour representatives against Mr MeVilly Manager of tbe Railways being called to give evidence.