WINTON.

Southern Cross, Volume 2, Issue 2, 14 April 1894, Page 12

WINTON.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) The usual monthly meeting of the A. and P. Association was held last Saturday, 7th inst. —the President, {Mr J. Cowie) in the chair. As harvest operations are being pushed through, the attendance is satisfactorily increasing.—The Railway Commissioners are evidently thinking well over the matter of putting on extra trains—at least they said so in a communication and asked to be allowed a little longer to consult our wishes. This was politely granted. The matter of the cattle and implement show proposed to be held here this year, was held over until after the annual meeting of the Western District Farmers’ Club in August next. —It was decided that the usual grain and produce show be held on Tuesday, sth June. A strong and energetic committee was appointed to arrange preliminaries in connection therewith. The first meeting of the committee will be held on 21st inst.

A more opportune time than the present could scarcely be found to take into consideration the starting of a dairy factory here. Grain (all kinds) is intolerably cheap. Mutton —well the butchers are so far maintaining their usual prices, but the farmer has got to be content with fully a florin a head all round less as compared with what he got last year. Should the required facilities offer themselves, a well-known gentleman and expert in the line is prepared to initiate the undertaking, and if necessary take up the running of the concern. We find there are districts less favourably circumstanced possessing dairy factories, and in the face of this I cannot from appealing to the people of Winton and district to put their shoulders to the wheel and encourage the growth of an industry that will be sure to result in incalculable good. I understand a public meeting is to be convened within the next week or so to discuss the matter.

It is apparently immaterial to many o£ our folks whether a good company or an inferior one pays ns a visit; they are sure to stick at home. Almost every night last week there was

something on in Mclnerney s Hall, notably, Lyons’ Burlesque Comedy Company and the Keimedy-Deering Company. Neither received (and especially the former) that patronage they fully merited. Our folks here are either awfully conservative or very sanctimonious. If ah affair is got up for a church or other local cause, they will roll up to a man —or just as well to say a woman now-a-days. The office-bearers recently elected for our football club are —Dr Riley, President (I consider this club is very fortunate in getting the Doctor, though I hope his services will not be called into requisition) ; Vice-Presi-dents : Messrs McGaw, J ones, Mclnerney, Tarlton, H ur d er an( i J- c ' William, &c.; captain, Mr D. Hurst; deputy-captain, Mr A. McKay ; secretary and treasurer, Mr J. Wilson (a good man) ; general committee: Messrs Hirst, McKay, Hill, Jones, Hagerty, McLeod and Wilson ; match committee: Messrs Hurst, Le Cren, Jones and Wilson. Mr Murphy was appointed delegate to represent the club at the meeting of the Southland Rugby Football Union. As a mill owner Mr W. Keith is exceptionally unfortunate. During the last 18 months or so two of his threshing mills have been destroyed by fire. The former one was purely an accident. The fii-st mill was completely gutted and the demolishing of the second one was witnessed last week in the Taringatura district, soon after knocking off time. Its destruction so far cannot be accounted for.