ARBITRATION COURT

Hokitika Guardian, 9 December 1920, Page 3

ARBITRATION COURT

BONUS UNSETTLED. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON December 9. When the Arbitration Court sat :oday the President said-the court had not yet been able to arrive at a decision in regard to the general' question of the bonus, but would be iible to go so in a few days. Further special applications would be adjourned until Monday when judgment would probably be given on the main issue. In regard to the latest contention on behalf of the Unions that the basis adopted for the first bonus in March 1919 was incorrect the Court had conferred with the Govern Statistician and might as well state at once that it was not necessary to go into the points raised for the reason that rightly or wrongly the Court adopted a certain basis in 1919 and it was quite impossible to review that basis. If the Court insisted on retaining the basis then it /mist assume the Statistician’s figures to be correct. Mr Reardon—“l suppose that is the position if the Court cannot see its way to alter-the basis.” The President said any alteration now would lead to all sorts of complications. Mr Reardon said they must necessar- • ! ily accept the computation <>f the Govoniient Statistician. : Mr McCombs said that if the Court i found it impossible to alter the basis i they could not very well alter .be bonuses already granted, if two. mis- I takes had l>een made, they should stand. The President—“We will go into the . whole question.” 1 ■ When Mr Reardon attempted to show that the employers agitation against tlie bonus commenced before tlie court made an announcement, the President said lie did not want to go into that question. ■He regarded it as an insult to suggest that the Court was likelv to be influenced by any agitation. The Court strongly resented such an inference.