ARBITRATION COURT PROCEDURE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 24 September 1907, Page 2

ARBITRATION COURT PROCEDURE.

A NOVEL OBJECTION. ; ;f.; Per Press' Association. Dunedin, Last Night. At the Arbitration Court to-day there wasi an important development in connection with the metal-workers' and engineers disputes. Mr. Scott, representmß.. the "iployera, questioned the validity of the applications. He said several employers considered the present a proper time to test the question of proper procedure, as some alteration in this respect was essential. He asked had the matter beeu brought before the Court and Conciliation Board in accordance with the Act. Mr. Scott pointed out that it had been decided to refer the dispute to the Conciliation Board and Arbitration Court, but it had not been referred to the Board at all. His Honor Mr. Justice Sim said the dispute should have been referred first to the Conciliation Board and then lo the Arbitration Court. Air. Breen, representing the workers, contended that the only resolution required was to refer the matter to the Board. This was an application for reference that required to be filed. A discussion then took place regarding the form on which, the application was made. Mr. Breen said that the form used was the only prescribed form 1 supplied to him. It had been used for c:'~ht or nine years.

His Honor said a dispute must first ■ ■ be referred to the Conciliation Board to '• give the Court jurisdiction. Mr. Breen: It is referred to the Board. His Honor: It is referred to the Board and the Court—a different thing altogether. - Mr. Breen said the form was suppllsd by the Clerk of Awards, but His Honor pointed out that it was not used in other parts of the colony. Mr. Breen: Seventy-five per cent, of the cases have been referred to the Board on exactly the same fonn. The Clerk of Awards said he had never supplied any such form as that on which the application was made. The Court, in giving judgment, held that it had no jurisdiction, and the applications wero accordingly struck out. Mr. Breen then said the, slaughtermen's dispute was in exactly the same position. His Honour said the Court would not consider the point Unless it was raised.