Please wait. Contacting image service... loading

Article text

THE
INDUSTRIAL
COURT.
NO ABIDING PLACE.
There is a growing feeling of resentment
at the totally inadequate and unsuitable accommodation
which is provide! at the
Supreme Courthouse for tne sittings of the
Industrial Court. It is only when the
civil criminal courtrooms are unoccupied
—and the pressure <6 general Court work
makes those occasions comparatively rare—
that the Industrial Court sittings are held
in the 'dignified and judicial" atmosphere
of the upstairs rooms. At other times the
cases art heard in the Registrar's office,
an admirable room for the purpose for
which it was intended, but wofully unsuitable
for the transaction of Court business.
The President, Court officials, counsel,
trades union representatives, members of
lie press, witnesses, and others are
huddled in a room the dimensions of which
measure about 20 ft. x 15 ft. Scarcely
"elbow room" is provided, and none more
than the reporters, whose scanty table accommodation
makes the performance of
their duties an irksome task, appreciate
the difficulties with which the" industrial
•tribunal is confronted. Many complaints
have from time to time been made of the
prevailing conditions, and on Tuesday a
furthifr protest was uttered by Sir Josiah
Symon, who remarked that even when the
way was 'clear for them to go "upstairs,"
much inconvenience was caused by the
transference from one room to another.
He sympathized with His Honor in the
disabilities that existed, but thought it
would be more agreeable to every one if
it were possible to come to a definite arrangement
in connection with obtaining
suitable accommodation for the Court.
TTia Honor observed that he was grateful
to Sir Josiah for having mentioned the
subject It certainly entailed considerable
inconvenience for the Court to have
no "abiding place," and to be bandied
about from pillar to post, but representations
were now being formulated to the
Government, and he had every hope that
speedy action would be taken to provide
the Court with a permanent abode.
$