§ Any matter which under this Act is to be settled in manner provided by this Act for settling disputes shall be referred to such one of the panel of referees appointed under this Act as may be selected in manner provided by rules made for the purpose, and the decision of the referee shall be final:
§ Provided that no such matter shall be so referred unless the party making the objection or refusing compliance has served notice on the other party within the prescribed time and in the prescribed manner, and all objections not made within such time and in such manner shall be disregarded.
§ Mr. S. ROBERTSI beg to move to omit the words "as may be selected in manner provided by rules made for the purpose," and to insert instead thereof the words "failing agreement between the parties to the dispute as to the selection of a referee, may be selected by the reference committee hereinafter mentioned."
My Amendment is to give the parties an opportunity of themselves selecting a referee without troubling the reference committee appointed under this Act to appoint a referee.
§ Sir C. CORYI beg to second the Amendment.
§ Mr. MASTERMANThe plan which the hon. and learned Gentleman desires, and which certainly we wish to encourage, can be carried out under the Bill as it stands, with this one exception. The Royal Commission recommended that there should be a couple of referees, while under Clause 117 the mode in which a referee in any particular case is to be selected is to be left to a reference committee to make provision for. Everyone wants a settlement, as far as possible amicably, between the different parties, and it is perfectly possible, and no doubt will be done, where there is an amiable arrangement between the two parties to choose one of the panel. In that case they can do it without any difficulty. The only difference is we think that we ought to keep even in these settlements one of the panel of referees.
§ Mr. S. ROBERTSAfter that explanation I beg leave to withdraw my Amendment.
§ Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.