ALLEGED BOYCOTT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 November 1938, Page 6

ALLEGED BOYCOTT

OF SECOND ARBITRATION COURT ATTITUDE OF FEDERATION OF LABOUR. APPOINTMENT OF MAGISTRATES PREFERRED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. From well-informed circles in Wellington it is learned that there is every foundation for the report being circulated that the New Zealand Federation of Labour has boycotted the Second Court of Arbitration. It is also said that the Minister of Labour, Mr Armstrong, is thoroughly familiar with the attitude of the federation, which has made it clear that it desires to have nothing further to do with the Court because of the dissatisfaction created among thousands of workers by its awards. The secretary of the federation, Mr F. D. Cornwell, declined to comment when asked yesterday if he was prepared to substantiate or deny the report that the federation had placed pressure on Messrs Thurston and Sill, deputies to Messrs Croskery and Monteith, the workers’ representatives on the two Courts, . .to decline to fill the vacancy on the Second, Court of Arbitration, caused by the resignation of Mr Croskery. Mr Cornwell said that a meeting of the national council of the federation would be held this month, when it was probable that one of the subjects to be discussed would be this court.

Well-informed circles say, however, that representations were made to both Messrs Thurston and Sill to decline to act on the court. It is further stated that the federation has the support of the bulk of workers, who are hostile to the court because of its awards. This hostility, it is said, has been expressed in no uncertain terms at meetings held.

Though it is recognised that there is not likely to be any lessening of the pressure of industrial and compensation work on the Court of Arbitration, the workers generally are not concerned as to the fate of the Second Court, the term of which is due to expire on November 22. For this reason, and because of the success of the Industrial Court, the work of which has been speedily dispatched by Mr J. A. Gilmour, it is considered probable that support will be accorded in trade union circles to the appointment of an additional magistrate or magistrates to relieve the Court of Arbitration of minor matters in industrial disputes, leaving it clear to make and dispose of fixtures more speedily than has been possible in the past.

According to a Press Association message from Christchurch, a statement made in Auckland that the present position was due to the attitude of the Federation of Labour was referred yesterday to trade union officials in Christchurch, all of whom refused to confirm or deny the report that the federation had placed pressure on the unions and officials restraining them from associating themselves with the Court.

The same message reports the Minister of Labour (the Hon H. T. Armstrong) as stating that he had seen the report from Auckland and had no comment to offer, except that he was not particularly concerned whether the workers’ representative acted on the Court or not. It would be better in everybody’s interests if the Court were fully constituted, but because it was below its full personnel did not prevent it from functioning. There was still a great deal of important work that the Court could perform without the assistance of an employees' representative.