WELLINGTON.

Otago Witness, Issue 2490, 4 December 1901, Page 21

WELLINGTON.

At a sifting of the Arbitration Court today the President. Mr Justice Cooper, made some remarks .with regard to the oft-dis-cussed question of preference of employment to unionists. One of the demands asked by the Painters' Union was that when a non-unionist was engaged by an employer on account of the union not being able to supply a man of equal ability, within 12 months thereafter the union should have the right to supply a man provided the person first employed declined to joki the union, this to apply to non-union men now employed. His Honor, referring to this, said he would never be a party to the insertion of such a a clause in any award. This would compel a workman to join a union or else lose his employment, acid would be neither right nor just. Preference would-be granted to members of a union which had an open door, but not to such an extent as this demand a&ked.

The Native Land Court have been sitting here for some time inquiring into the titles of Native lands. On Thursday orders were made vesting in the Crown over 4-2,000 acres. These were acquired by purchase from the_ Natives about the district and up the river, and when surveyed they will be thrown open for settlement.

At Wanganui on Monday a man named James M'Ainch was charged with having, on October 22, at AVanganui, made a false declaration, purporting to be a declaration of the value of goods imported by him into the colony of New Zealand. The evidence was to the effect that on October 2 a parcel containing opal rings and a brooch carao by post addressed to defendant, who called himself an opal merchaut. The invoice of the goods was £17. The Customs Department beingsuspicious that the value of the goods was under-stated, had the same valued, with the result that the cost price was found to bo about £35. The goods were seized, and the man charged with attempting to defraud the customs. A fine of £100 was imposed.