SOUTHLAND TOPICS

Otago Witness, Issue 4029, 2 June 1931, Page 33

SOUTHLAND TOPICS

(From Oub Own Correspondent.) THE OLD ORDER CHANGES. The powers that be have ordained that the change over .of the statutory halfholiday from Wednesday to Saturday shall commence on Saturday, June 13. The proclamation will affect greater Invercargill, including South Invercargill and Clifton. RETURNS EAGERLY AWAITED. Several trial shipments of matured cheese have been sent to the Old Country from Southland this season, and dairy producers in these parts are now awaiting with considerable interest the returns in respect of such offerings. Some 300 crates or so have been shipped Home, and the first consignments, by’ now, have probably reached the London market. There are still in store awaiting shipment 250 crates, while a fair quantity in the process of maturing remains at the factories.. Great interest in the question of maturing has been manifested of late, and, naturally, producers are anxious to ascertain whether the success which followed similar experiments last year will be repeated this season. THEIR FATE SEALED. The Southland Education Board has decided to fall into line with the attitude adopted by several Northern Boards with regard to all married women teachers (widows excepted) now in the service of the board. It was mentioned at the last meeting recently’ that there were 45 teachers unemployed in the province, and altogether there were about 800 to 900 in the Dominion walking the streets. To make matters worse, the interests of dozens of boys and girls at present at high schools with teaching careers mapped out for them had to be considered. Members were unanimous in arriving at the decision to give every married woman teacher three months’ notice, dating from June 1, of the termination of her engagement. Lest in any particular case hardship might be occasioned by such dismissal notice, the board has provided that, should any teacher consider her circumstances to be of such a nature as to entitle her to special consideration, the merit of her case will, upon due application, be carefully considered.

A BUSY PERIOD. With lambs coming forward so freely the local freezing works are still experiencing a busy period. The quantities are holding up remarkably well, and so far as the Southland Frozen Meat Company’ is concerned, the killing season ■will continue until at least the end of June, and it may even be necessary for one of the two works to operate for a short time in July. Though it has been suggested in certain quarters that a further increase is likely to occur in the fat lamb schedule over and above the recent double rise which took place there is little indication to support any hopes of further immediate rises, the more so in view of the fact that present values offered by exporters leave little margin for profit. The very’ large volume of stock put through the freezing works has resulted in the available space being heavily taxed, and, owing, to delays in shipping, some congestion has been occasioned. The Southland Company has had to make representations to the Meat Board for extra shipping facilities, and the Raranga and Zealandic, sent to the rescue, have managed to relieve the company’s anxieties in this respect just in time. SOUTHLAND COUNTY FINANCE At the statutory annual meeting of the Southland County’ Council held last Wednesday, Mr James M’Neill, to whose valuable services during the past year members made eulogistic references, was re-elected chairman. The financial position of tlie council revealed to the meeting the somewhat alarming information that although the year had commenced on April 1, 1930, with a credit balance of £17,709, the position was on March 31 last that tlie year’s operations had closed with a debit balance of £777. The chairman explained that the deficiency’ was due entirely to the non-payment of rates owing to the present economic depression. This was clearly evidenced by the following figures quoted by Mr M’Neill, when he compared the collection of the rates this year with last, the rates struck being the same in both years:—(l929-30), general rates and hospital rates collected, £72,240; (1930-31), general rates and hospital rates collected, £53,787, being a deficiency of £18,483 for the year 1931. The chairman frankly confessed (what, indeed, was selfevident) that the finances of the county would need very careful handling during the. present year, and that if the large amount of outstanding rates was not soon paid, drastic steps would have to be taken to enable the council to make ends meet. The interesting information was also conveyed to the councillors that the council had endeavoured to alleviate the unemployment position as far as it was able, a total sum of £12,808 having been distributed during the past year, throughout the works in the county. “At the present time the council has over 500 men employed under the No. 5 scheme,” declared the chairman. AWARUA ELECTORATE. The Reform banner in the Awarua electorate at the forthcoming general election will be sponsored by Mr J. R. Hamilton, of Winton, who has been selected as the official candidate by’ the delegates from the different districts concerned. There were three aspirants in the field— Messrs G. V. Edge, of Bluff, Ronald Sim, of Otahuti, and the chosen candidate, but as the result of a ballot which was taken the responsibility, yet withal the honour, of upholding the policy of Mr Coates and his confreres goes to Mr Hamilton, who, however, has been assured by’ the other two nominees that they, too, will fight tooth and nail to secure his return. The candidate is an old campaigner who, by his win over the late Sir Joseph Ward in 1919 with a majority of 777 votes, proved the theory that the third time is

at any rate sometimes lucky. When he fought Sir Joseph in 1911 he (Mr Hamilton) was defeated by a margin of 528. In 1914 he again sought parliamentary honours, and his defeat on that occasion was substantial. At the election in 1922 he was defeated by the Hon. P. A. de la Perrelle by 51. votes; but in 1925 again came to tlie fore to gain the day by C 220 votes. Last election saw Mr Perrelle returned with a majority of 946 votes over Mr Hamilton. If this "give-and-take” policy repeats itself this year we shall again see Mr Hamilton as M.P. for Awarua.

OUR AFFORESTATION SCHEME. At the end of the present year it is fully anticipated the whole of the 5009 acres comprising the Pebbly Hills afforestation reservation will be planted in trees. To date 1926 acres have been planted out, there being approximately 1,250,000 trees established during the last planting season, when there was an exceptionally good take of trees. The current years operations will see an additional 1 3000 acres of this reservation (which, bv the way, has always been regarded as unpayable for farming purposes) planted out in trees, and this will complete the whole area which is at present available to the State Forestry Department in that district, this Pebbly Hills scheme has also been the means of relieving unemployment to some considerable extent, for, during the last planting season, about 50 men were employed by the department planting from June to. October, while 12 men have been kept in regular employment since then. The reservation promises to be such a success in every direction that it is certainly to be hoped that several other areas in the province which might with advantage be devoted to the purpose of growing trees will be added to Southland’s forest estates.