SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES

Otago Witness, Issue 2892, 11 August 1909, Page 52

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES

♦ -• (FfiOM OUB Ora COEBESPONDENT.) INVERCARGILL, August 7. Only small quantities of oate have been offered locelly during tine week, and prices 'have been well maintained, though, as far as can be learnedr no business has been done by merchants either for the North Island trade or for the Home market. Some of the merchants who have now got their orders 611 ed are not keen to operate, but there are still several who are buying fairly freely, and paying up to Is 7d on trucks for A grade, and Id less for B grade. It is not likely that the market will go back, as practically all the oats that are threshed are already in merchants' hands. Farmers in most oases sold, and very few are held by them on storage at Bluff. There is going to be a good inquiry for seed oats, and merchants fcavo been holding on to the 'host lines available. The chaff market is lifeless, and a largo quantity is offering a* 35s to =f>2 7 tut there appears to be no business passing outBide local consumption. Ryegrass is firm, but no business is being clone. Pi ices are likely to rule fairly high to those who have to buy for sowing down, ami good heavy seed is very scarce. None of the* local firms is buying potatoes at present, but large quantities are held in store, which have to be shipped this month to the North Isla-nd market. Complaint* are etill coming in with reference to quality, but merchants are not taking any lisk in the matter. At the i-tock sales held during the week there have bt-en very small yardings. Price 6 for rail classes of store sheep are well maintained, owing, no doubt, to the large acreage in turnips that is available for winter feed. Cood well-woc-Ued hoggets are mostly Bought- at'tar — mixed eexes at 11s to 12s, and Sue hoggets at up to 13s. Northern buyers have been inquiring, but local prices seem as high a-- those- at present ruling in Canterbury. Butchers' wethers which are offering fairly freely, are quoted at 15s 6d to 16s Gd. A good nnmber of this class of >heep are going to the Burnside market. Freezing " buyers have stopped operating, tnd all the works will be closing down in £. few days. Beef is quoted at 23s per 1001b, prime bullocks making up to £10 15s. Gooil for-Ward-conditioned eatule (three-year-olds) are Quoted at £7. There is a good inquiry for Founcr cattle, and yearlings are quoted at B2 10b, two-year-olds at £3 10s. and calve-, J7s to 30s. A better tone prevails in fibre circlrs o%ving }o the improvement reported in the London market, and several millers are busily fingaged making arrangements for a start in September 6hould prices continue as favourable as they are at present. An "increase of 103 to 15s per ton would lead to fcbe reopening of numbers of mills wtnich did not start last season, and should this eventuate, much relief should be afforded to surplus labour. Latest reports indicate tiiat prices up to £19 5s per ton for " fair " 'ire available for prompt or September-Octo-ber delivery, and there- should be sufficient inducement to give the industry a start es soon as the weather warrants ft commencement of nulling operations. _ Owing to the absence of local stocks a price cannot be quoted for spot parcels. August 9. The Greater Inverear.gill Association Slave pretty -well threshed out among themselves the question of amalgamation, and are now inviting the mayors, councillors and town clerks of Invercavgill and the five surrounding boroughs to a conference, 'io be held on Friday next., when

Tit is intended to place fully before th< 1 meeting the association's views on th< question of union. With a view to eliciting opposite views, if any, and enlisting th< sympathy and assistance of all the re presentatives of the boroughs interested after this meeting public meetings will b< , held in the various boroughs, and there after an effort will be made to have c poll taken, so as to get the matter settled Mr Thomas Roff, one of the best knowi sawmillsrs in Southland, died at Glendht sawmill, near Bedgehope, on Tuesday last. He was working till the Tuesday, but had been ill for a few days previously and complained of pains in his head. Ar. inquest was held, and a verdict returnee of death from natural causes. Mr Eofi was working manager for the Southland Sawanilling Company, and also owned a sawmill of bis own at Stewart Island, which was worked by- his son. Very little has been heard of Orepuki gold mining during the week, the excitement having fizzled out. As the menibei for the district (Mv J. C. Thomson) has arranged that » Government expert shall ■ be sent down to report on the discoveries, and also on the field generally, some solid basis will be afforded for future prospecting work. In the meantime, the local j miners are pinning their faith to the I black sand beaches, and are anxiously ' t waiting the starting of the smelting ! works. ! Mr Daniel M'Callum of Waianiwa lost \ two stacks of oats through fire last week, probably through a spark from the engine of a threshing mill, which was at work on a third stack. The mill was also burned, though the engine was saved. The Irivercargill Musical Union held a most successful concert in the Municipal Theatre on Friday evening. The evening was an extremely unpleasant one and bitterly cold, but there was a. good turnout of performers and a very satisfactory audience. Owing to special efforts made by members, the chorus was considerably stronger than it has been in recent concerts, and the performance was quite up to the usual standard of excellence, the conductor (Mr Gray) expressing himself as well pleased. At the close of the concert, Mr F. J. Lillicrap, who has been clarinet player in the orchestra for many years past, was presented with a very handsome silver-mounted oak tray, suitably inscribed. Mr Lillicrap, in consequence of press of business, finds himself compelled to retire from the orchestra after twenty years' service. At a meeting of directors of the Southland A. and P. .Association, held lasl week, it was decided to hold the horse parade on October 7. and to introduce a system of judging and giving prizes instead of only parading the horses as previously. At Friday's meeting of the Southland Education Board, the following appointments were confirmed : — George H. Beilby, temporary third assistant at Invercargill Middle ; Mrs John Gray, acting mistress, till a permanent appointment could be made, at Nightcaps ; Mrs T. Dawson be recommended to the department for appointment as sewing mistress at Acdlussa ; Hilda. H. Schlaadt, temporary sole teacher ait Titipua ; Bridget Wright, temporary mistress at Nightcaps ; Peter M'Glashan, temporary sole teacher at Pine Bush ; Henrietta Romans, temporary mistress at Wallacetown ; and Margaret M. M'Laughlan, pupil teacher (3rd year) at Wyndham. The Sawmillei's' Union are suggesting to the employees a reduction of wa^es averaging about Is a day in every class of labour, although, in some cases, the reduction is Is 6d. and even 2s per day. The Workers' Union, sr far from accepting the suggestion, if disposed to ask for further concessions, especially in the direction of improved accommodation for workere and : mmediate pajment to men leaving employment. At Friday's meeting of the Southland Education Board, Mr James Orr, who has been teacher at Arrow for many years pait. re&igned his position, and it was resolved to write him expressing appreciation of his long and faithful services. Mr J. N. Barns, of the New Zealand Shipping Company, has been notified of hii transfer to the head office in Wellington. Mr Barns's departure from Invercargill will be a considerable Ices to the Invercargill Rowing Club, for which he has been honorary secretary for some j years past. j Mr J. C. Mackley, formerly of the Abattoirs, Invercargill, has been appointed manager of the Wellington City j Abattoirs. I A .nan named Thomas Bowc<= lian his j le^ broken at Stewart Island last week | while pile driving at the new wharf. The accident was caused through a large stone rolling down hill, Bowes being so situated that he was unable to get out of its way. ! The Southland pupils of the Scranton Schools held a re-union in A.-hleyV Hall on Wednesday evening la«t to mark the establishment of a sub-agency of the school.-, in this town. Tlieie wa^. a fan* turn-out of pupils and an enjoyable evening was spent, Mr Marryatt. who has worked Southland for Mo«r-> Bray Bros, for .-ome year- pa.-t, uivni/j; a iT<.cd deal of iniormation about tho pio<;ie*~ of mail correspondence in Southland, and particulars regarding ths various, coui.-es which can be taken up. Advantage wa.taken of the opportunity io introduce Mr Lee, who will represent Me.--i.» Bvay Bros, in Southland in future. The third meeting of the Southland Coursing Club was held at the racecourse ' on Wednesday and Thursday la~t, when ' a- big programme of events wa? got off. The winners of the finals were Miss M'Cash's Flag -Signal, winch won the Ladier * Bracelet, Mt C. Hayes's Queens- , bury and Captain Cook, who divided the Open Stake, and the Supplementary, which j was iron by All Over j Mr A. Christophers, -who has been , manager of the Bank of New South Wales, Invercargill. foi a good many years past, will retire in November next after fifty two years in the sei\ ice of the bank, and will 1)9 succeeded by Mr C. Tennant of Timaru. '

Mr Christophers Trill be remembered by residents of the Otago goldfields as manager of the Bank of New South Wales it Lawrence about thirty years ago. As a result of the canvass for subscriptions, and a concert recently held in aid of Mr J. Forde, of Kew, a total sum of £141 13s lOd was raised, which has enabled the subscribers to hand over to Mr Forde £116 13s lOd, besides providing £25 for an artificial leg. Association football ihas !made better progress in Southland this season than in any previou year, there now being five strong clubs playing. Bluff tops the list for the championship with 7 points, the others following as follows: — Celtic 6. Nightcaps 4, Underwood 3, Invercavgill 2. Gore is building a theatre. The new building, which will hold an audience of 1000, is expected to be ready for opening in November next.— Southland Times. Nothing further has been seen of the mysterious Ughts in Invercargill during the past week, but there are still people in Waikaka w,ho insist chat they have s-een an airship, one going so far as to describe the body of the boat and give its approximate length. Mr W. M'Keown, who served as first assistant in Wyndham Dairy Factory during last season, has been appointed cheesemaker at Seaward Downs out oE twenty-three applicants. A burglar managed to make an entry intc a local mercer's shop one morning recently, but did not gain much by his venture, as be dropped his bundle when disturbed hy the police. A very kvrge dredge is being erected at Waikaka on. M'Gregor's Freehold No. 2 at a cost of between £900 and £1000. The dredge, which is said to be the biggest, south of the line, will have pontoons of 130 ft long, 28ft broad, and Bft deep. A man named John Small was found dead in his hut at Athol on Tuesday last, death being due to natural causes. In the case of Mrs Dodd versus Henderson and Co., Wyndham, the magistrate (Mr Cruickshank), in giving his decision in plaintiff's favour, held that the cows belonged to her, and she had not authorised her husband to instruof Hendor.=on and Co. to cell them. The cows were, on tlie face of the transa'etion, supplied to Mrs Dodd, and had been paid for by Henderson and Co., getting Mrs Dodd's milk cheques to their value from the Wyndham factory. Applications for breach claims at Orepuki were heard b\ Warden Cruickshank last Monday. Mr W. A. Stout. on behalf of a number of mineie, objected | to the grant of large areas applied for, ! and th.9 Warden, recognisinc; the justice jof their objection, granted prospecting licenses for six months only Sitting at Rivertor last week, Mr Cruickshank granted Mi Fred. Hart's ' application for a special sluicing claim of twenty-three acres at Round Hill. Hart was for some years manager of the Round Hill Goldmining Company's big claim at Round Hill, and after being discharged by | them applied for the ground which adjoins theirs, they indeed, having during Hai-t's management, gone beyond their boundary into this ground. The Round I Hill Company objected to the grant, but I the warden saw no reason why Hart should not have the ground and granted his application accordingly. Mr Millar, stationmaster at Wyndhanr, ' is being, transferred to the Goods Depaa-t- ' ment at Dunedin, and Mr Valentine from j Dunedin has been appointed to the position vacated 'by Mr Millar. Mr Fred Traill, well known in Invercargill in connection with the South British Insurance Company, had hit, arm broken at Gisborne on Friday lasv while cycling. I