SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES

Otago Witness, Issue 2892, 18 August 1909, Page 52

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES

(FfiOM OUR OwH COBBESPONDENT.) INVERCARGILL, August 14. During the week the oat market has shown an/ easier tendency, as no-, outside demand has been coming forward. The quantity offering by farmers is very email, but in most cases sales are being effected, though there is not the same keenness to buy as there was a few wesks ago. It appears that some of the northern ports are supplying any small demand from the North Island at a shade lower prices than local merchants are at present quoting ; Is 9^d to Is lOd (f.0.b., s.i.) has been obtained for A grade Gartons and Sparrowbilk, but Is B£d to Is 9d are the ruling values for B grade. These prices are equivalent to Is 6d to Is 6ad for A grade, and Id less for B grade, on trucks at country stations. A fair amount of business is being done in seed lines, and merchants anticipate Laying fairly heavy sales of this class for this year's sowing. Chaff is practically at a standstill, the quantity offering being considerably more than enough to keep the local trade going Prices rule from 35s to £2, on trucks at country stations, the latter price being paid only for prime quality. There is no change to report in ryegrass, as practically none has bean offering from fanners during the week. Several very nice samples of Timothy have been offering on the market during the week, and extra clean seed has sold at 5d on trucks at country stations, but the average price seems to be 4d to 4£d; The stock sales held during the week attracted only small entries, but all lines offering were sold; and a fair amount of private business is being done. The freezing works are just about to close down, as there no sheep coming forward. Freezing buyers not being able to do anything in fat wethers at the present time a number of this class of sheep is offering by farmers wishing- to quit, and thoy are tending them to the Wallaoetown and Burnside markets. Good store wethers to carry over the shearing have Been slightly more inquired for at 11s to 12s. Ewe hoggets are also in good demand at up to 13s, and mixed sexes at up to 11s 6d. Beef is quoted up to 235, and fairly large sales have taken place during the week to northern buyers, the prices obtained being £9 to £10. Good forward conditioned sattle are wanted at £7 Younpr cattle are also sought after, and lines of well-bred beasts from 18 months to 2$ years have been selling at from £2 15s to £3 10s. The inquiry £pp fibre has kept up during th© week, but it has been found difficult to get millers to complete business, most of them haying the idea that bettor prices will be ruling in the near future. This idea, however, does not obtain among experts, who recognise that Manila, is much superior to our local production, and English advices show that large supplies ire continually pouring into London, the imports far exceeding the anticipated relUirements-. This tends to prove that high irices are- not at all likely to rule, and it :s probable that millers who take advantage jf the present ruling rates will have •eason to congratulate themselves later on. rhere is no new fibre down as yet this reason, but in the course of a fortnight or hree weeks it should start to come in ilowly till the end of next month, when, several other millers will be commencing operations. It is anticipated that so far as southland is concerned flaxmilling will be i moro fcatisfactory industry than it has >een for the past 12 or 18 months. There has also been a small inquiry for

tow but owing to the absence of stocks no business has been done. , August 16. The conference of mayors, councillors and town clerks of Invercargill and the i suburban boroughs, held in the Council Chambers on Friday evening, was only fairly well attended, there being 34 persons present out of a possible 69. Several, however, were -out of town, the evening was unpleasant, and the opening of the Competitions no doubt accounted for the absence of some. All the boroughs were, however, represented. Mr Macalister, the Chairman, outlined the history of the movement for tbs amalgamation of the • town and suburban boroughs, and set out ■ the advantages of union. Several speakers J who followed spoke of the need of the executive of the Greater Invercargill Association educating the ratepayers on the ! subject before having the matter eubi matted to the vote ; and a motion affirm- • ing the desirability of the various councils inviting the executive to visit their boroughs for this purpose was proposed by Mr Brent (Avenal) and seconded by Mr D. B. Ferrar (North Invercargill) and carried unanimously. The executive will accordingly hold a series of. meetings for the discussion of the matter in the suburbs, and thereafter a monster meeting in the Town Ball, and then polls will be taken simultaneously- in the various boroughs. ! The first Ladies' Interprovincial Hockey . match, Otago v. Southland, was held jon the Queen's Part on Wednesday I afternoon and attracted a very large number of spectators. The weather was good and the ground dry. Otago won by 4 goals to 2. The Otago players were rather faster than the Southlanders, and kept their places better. They played a game of long passes and fast following up, the Southland forwards frequently pottering, feebly with the ball when they got it. They, however, played a plucky game, and had bard luck in losing a chance right in front ot the Otago goal through a back sitting down on the ball. Hockey has caught on wonderfully in Invercai'gill, and has killed basket ball quite dead. In. consequence of the great success of dairy-farming in Southland, the increase of machine milking is making great progress, a local firm having already in hand orders for over a dozen installations. On Wednesday evening, just on 7.30, the tolling of the fire bell and a red flare from Iho water tower «aye the signal for the mobilisation of the local Volun- | teers, and very soon the men began, to stream in the direction of the Garrison HtaU, Leren street. In half an hour, about 90 men had obeyed the call, and before" an hour had passed the total roll ■ was 134 men, representing the three town infantry corps and the Southland Mounted Rifles, a tuim-out regarded by tire officer commanding the district as highly satisfactory. Rev. J., Gibson Smith, formerly of First Church, Invercargill, and now of St. Andrew's, Wellington, spent a few days in Invercargill last week, and was the guesf of Mr J. L. Watson, i Mr Alex Hamilton, of Dunedin, has been appointed manager of the National Bank at Riverton. The movement to secure municipal trams for Invercargill has been advanced a stage by the agreement of the Borough Council of North Invercargill to pay its proportion of the £1100 to be offered to Sir Joseph Ward for his Order in Council, etc. The South Invercargill Council has declined to pay its proportion before a poll is taken', and Invercargill is going to pay it in thio meantime, and as an additional inducement to South Invercargill has offered to take over part of its of the cost, and of course of the profit. Messers John Cowie, Duncan Gilchrist. and W. Macalister, retiring members of the Southland Education Board, have been re-elected, and Mr W. N. Stirling has been elected vioe Mr H. S. F. King, resigned. A movement is ;n; n progress to get the Government to acquire Mr John Carmiehael's farm of 4200 acres at Ma-taura for closer settlement. A petition from wculd-be settlers of substance has been forwarded to the Minister of Land^. The Kennington Dairy Factory Co. have accepted a tender for tfieir buildings, and have appointed Mr Thos. Duncan, of Edendale, manager.