MIDLAND RAILWAY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5426, 29 November 1895, Page 3

MIDLAND RAILWAY.

THE ARBITRATION COURT. j "WITHDRAWAL OF THE ARBITRATORS. fPss Press Association.! WELLINGTON, Nov. 29. j When the Arbitration Court resumed , this morning, the Hon E. Blake, the umpire, said he was sorry to announce that the arbii tratora had been unable to agree on the i question of jurisdiction, and had therefore i withdrawn from the case, and conse- ] quently the onerous duty devolved upon him of deciding the case, alone. He thece- ' fore proceeded to undertake the duties. 1 As to the question of reference to the I seizure of the line, he contended that r notwithstanding the seizure (admitting r its validity), the power of arbitration re- ' mained. That was his opinion. As to the alleged recision of the contract, that, of course, was a mixed question of law and fact, and he was prepared to receivo evidence on the subject. He considered that, . whatever might be his opinion on thia , subject, it would be to the interests of both parties to proceed with the cvi- i dence, and if any wrong were done i ■- by his ruling it could be easily I and inexpensively redressed. He wished . to leave New Zealand as soon as possible, and urged counsel to compress the evidence. He would require the Court to , sit long hours, to enable the case to be finished as early as possible. Mr Blake then proceeded to hear evidence, Mr ' Robert Wilson, the manager of the company, being the first witness. Mr Blake is hearing the case alone under the deed of Arbitration, which provides • that in the event of disagreement of the ' arbitrators, the umpire may act alone.