SOUTHLAND TOPICS

Otago Witness, Issue 4031, 16 June 1931, Page 31

SOUTHLAND TOPICS

(From Our Own Correspondent.) THROUGH THE YEARS. INVERCARGILL, June 13. 1 hough, of recent months, there has been quite an epidemic of school jubilees throughout the province, the joyous celebrations have commemorated but the golden 50 years. The young and old pupils assembling at the Limehills School jubilee next year will, however, take their minds down memory’s lane for 60 years, for 1932 marks the sixtieth year of existence of the school. Keen interest is being manifested in the forthcoming diamond jubilee, and a strong committee has a , , eac y been appointed to arrange suitab.e functions in honour of the proud occasion.

CITY RATES REDUCED. A substantial reduction in rates for the year ending March 31 next, which plank figured considerably during the recent mayoral election campaign, has been finally decided upon by the Invercargill ’ and the rating proposals ot the Finance Committee that rates should be reduced by 20 per cent., in comparison with those levied last year having been adopted after considerable discussion at the council meeting last i te ?i are also Koing to be immediately taken to raise a loan of £5OOO, repayable at the rate of £lOOO per annum over a period of five years, for the purpose of making further provision for the telief of unemployment. the air sense. • ra Pi<l strides Southland is cultivating the air sense.” As indicative of the FhpfJT v e ‘ nj? } nade l ,’ y tlle Aero Club in their A ar ni’l T’ gh r enth,,slasts now possess their A pilots licenses; eight more are in training at Mossburn with a view to gaining then- “tickets,” while four are undergoing instruction at Invercargill. Arrangements are being made for an aeron°H e P ? rt - °- f tlle Castlerock estate to I li trainin g to be carried out there t « e U f e Ot any lnem bers who maycare to fly to that district. The club fUi'vil-Fn i S r- SeS w\ "machines, both de Haviland Gipsy- Moths. A local “Lindy ” has blossomed forth, too, in the person of Mr Luc M Neill, who recently brought honour to the club by a meritorious flighf nno^r«eF nd l i a “ d - back ’ llie successful of Fl - fl’ ills instruction at the hands of Flying-officer J . M. Smith (the club's mo-rpl 01, 1 ’ ” n i der whose S uidar >ce great has been made bv his many patience^ l t 0 whose , tlloro 'wgl>ness and l»s be“> oI

SHIPPING FACILITIES. fl,^ 11 ti' Kra . tlfy i ng is at la st to hand the legular Bluff-Melbourne passenger. service will be resumed in the eaHy spring, long before the touris traffic commences in real earnest AltlXh weeTlv I ‘i P nn la T e ll , iainta ‘hing a thre°eoea wih in ‘ IU | lng " inte r months, nto i aS rc V ,sed to be lulled it has“ been Mt T 1 s,lbstit '>tion. and n nas been felt that restricted shinninocommunication in the past with 4«stralm has been responsible for depriving ‘the Fn”*/ ¥ ,a V d of , 0 PP o >'tnnities of developing its trade and tourist traffic similar t„ those enjoyed by the North Islan The STS u " ,ier " iiich .rill S.T I g <, % n^'Sd , b7 y , I , m “ th • p "‘ '--...1

POTATO GROWING. For some time past the Rp«n>-,-, mittee of the Invercar-ill Citv A « bad U „J„ e i le council has now decided to to cal he b X P ?o S ; a1 ’ U its intention to can noth for offers of land which foi- n the n'° U dbe P re P ar ed to have used toi the purpose and, at the same time for piepaied lots for growing potatoes durinthe season. Ihe lots are to be prepare f of re r serv e e H- Ct ‘? n °. f - the sl, P e "»tmident nnl th?f P lo^ ll «nd harrowing, and the seed and fertilisers will be subplied to applicants, such cost plus that of preparing the land, to be made a firs charge on the crop. ■

THE CHEAPEST AND BEST. An exhortation to the primary producers of New Zealand to do their utmost to produce the very best article at the ■°"’est price in order to compete with the world at large has been made by the Minister of Internal Affairs. The Minister, when speaking at Bluff recently, emphasised the fact that Russia’s underselling tactics on the Home markets had seriously prejudiced New Zealand’s primary' producers. as the Dominion was so far a wav from the Old Country. Mr Perrelle said that when the Governor-General liaJ tasted samples of cheese from champion Southland factories during his recent visit Bluff coo] stores, lie line! declared that the quality was superior to procured at Home. It was necessary, counselled the Minister, for the primary producers to rise to the occasion and sb secure the consideration for New Zealand’s products that they' were entitled to expect. CREATION OF SMALL HOLDINGS. The Minister of Lands is giving careful consideration to a proposal submitted to inm that the endowment lands between Kevv and Ocean Beach, owned by the Bluff Harbour Board and the City of Invercargill, might be brought into cultivation. The suggestion is that a sea-wall should be erected in order to protect land opposite Awarua and so enable it to be devoted, to small holdings for the purpose of providing useful work when times are bad at the Bluff wharves. It is understood that the Minister has consented to send an expert down here to exhaustively consider the question, and to advise generally as,to whether the land is suitable for cultivation. The fact that men must,

whenever possible, be settled on the land in order to provide them with the means ot assisting themselves is realised, and the hope has been expressed that if, with the co-operation of both the Bluff Harbour Board and the Invercargill City Council, and with the sympathy of the Government, casually-employed men on the Bluff waterfront could be assisted to settle r>? O Jr Slllab holdings between Kew and Bluff, and provided with a cow or a couple of pigs or so, that degree of contentment would be created to attain which it is so very difficult at the present time. HONOUR TO WHOM . . .

It Is only fitting that the first steps having for their object the erection of a national monument at Bluff to the meniorv of the late Sir Joseph Ward should be embarked upon by the townsfolk of Southland s port, where the illustrious statesman spent some of the happiest days of his boyhood and manhood. During the visit of the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. P. A. de la Perrelle) to Bluff a few days ago, a deputation waited upon linn with the request that the Government should sponsor a Dominion-wide appeal for contributions in order that a memorial, appreciative of Sir Joseph’s eminent services. not only to New Zealand, but to the Empire as a whole, should grace the little town which had been the" starting place of his political career. The deputation informed Mr Perrelle that thev had been approached by young and old alike, of all. shades of political opinion, suggesting that a national memorial should be erected at Bluff. While it was appreciated that the Government was faced with great difficulties just now. the speakers said they considered that if a subscription list was taken up throughout the Dominion, sufficient money would be forthcoining to permit the attainment of the object sought. It was suggested that tlie subscriptions should be small, say even Is, so that all could contribute. In replying, Mr Perrelle said he, too, had been constantly approached on the matter right through the Dominion. He thought it would be the better suggestion if the first steps were taken at Bluff, and informed the deputation that, immediately on liis return to Wellington, he would place before the Prime Minister the desire of the . people of Sir Joseph’s native heath, as it were, to honour the memory of an outstanding Imperialist. The Minister also promised to make it widely known throughout. New Zealand that the people of Bluff wished to seek support from the whole Dominion as soon as possible.