Arbitration Court Homeless No Longer

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 412, 21 July 1928, Page 5

Arbitration Court Homeless No Longer

SERVICE TO JUSTICE THIRTY-TWO YEARS’ RECORD (From Our Resident Reporter.} WELLINGTON. To-day. In the thirty-two years of its existence the Arbitration Court has established a great record in the administration of justice. This tribute was paid to the services •of the Court by the Minister of Justice. the Hon. F. J. Rolleston, in declaring open th 0 new headquarters of the Arbitration Court to-day. The buildings which adjoin the Supreme Court, Wellington, were formally opened to-day by Mr. Rolleston. in the presence of many members of the legal profession and of employers’ and employees’ unions, and other organisations which have business before the Court. The building cost £12.576 and is constructed neatly of New Zealand material. Mr. Justice Frazer, president, and Mr. G. T. Booth, employers* representative, and Mr. A. L. Monteith, employees’ representative, occupied the Bench. The Hon. R. A. Wright, Acting-Min-ister of Labour, said the building had not been erected before its time. ll< quoted figures to show the great volume of work carried out by the Court since its establishment in 1896. Then were, he said, now approximately 100,000 workers in the unions, for whom awards and industrial agree - r.ients were in operation, and it might be assumed that these awards “set the -r~2 in the industries in other parts of New Zealand. Anyone who knew the difficulties which existed between capital and labour would not envy any Court which had to give its decisions in such cases, said Mr. Wright, but he was satisfied that the Court had always done its best to be fair between the contending parties. Mr. Rolleston. in declaring the building open, said he recognised that it was essential that a Court of justice should be housed comfortably and in dignified surroundings. The members of the Court had shown very great patience in enduring what they had had to put up with for many yearIt was some 32 years since the Court was first established, and although one might have heard of some fault which had been found with the Court ho was sure that any unbiased person, reviewing the records of the Court, would admit that it had done great work in the administration of justice. In spite of all Its difficulties, the Arbitration Court had upheld the highest traditions of th© Courts of justice. Speaking on behalf of the Bar, Mr. G. G. Watson expressed gratification that the Court had at last premises worthy of the dignity of its high functions. and premises which would facilitate the conduct of its business. Mr. F. Cornwell, president of the Wellington Trades and Labour Cc*’" cil, Mr. C. G. Camp, representing New Zealand Employers’ Federal and Mr. W. G. Smith, on behalf the shipping interests, also added t congratulations. Mr. Justice Frazer said for thf vears the Court had not only bee peripatetic institution, but it liad 1 a homeless one. Of course, it not admitted that am* tithe of the mistakes accredited to it had been made, but he thought that if some of the critics knew the conditions under which the work was done they would marvel that more mistakes were not made. His Honour paid tributes to the Government architect, to the builders and to the officers of the Public Works Department, who had been concerned in the supervision of the work and the furnishing of the Court and offices.