ARBITRATION COURT.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 December 1920, Page 5

ARBITRATION COURT.

. THE BONUS QUESTION. By Telegraph.—Press Association Wellington, Dec. 0. When the Arbitration Court sat today the ( president said that the Court Jiad not yet been able to arrive at a decision in regard to, the general question of the bonus, but it would be able to do so in a few days. Further special applications would be adjourntd until Monday when judgment will 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 for March, 1919' was incorrect, the court had conferred with the Government 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 that basis they must assume the statistician'® figures to be correct. Mr. Reardoii: "I suppose that is the position if the Court cannot see its way to alter the basis." The president said they must necessarily accept the computation of the Government statistician. Mr. M'Combs said that if the Court found it impossible to alter the basis they could not very well alter the bonuses already granted. If two mistakes had been made they should stand. The president: "We will go into the whole, question." When Mr. Reardon attempted to show that the employers' - agitation against 1 the bonus commenced before the Court made its, announcement, the president said he did not want to go into that question. Ha regarded it as an insult to suggest that the Court was' likely to be influenced by any agitation. The Court strongly Tesented 'suchi an', fat' j putation.