INVERCARGILL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 246, 17 October 1872, Page 8

INVERCARGILL.

(From our own Correspondent):

October 9th.

During the first half of September, we had fine weather, the next quarter was cold' and showery, and the las£ quarter we bad the equinoctial gales, accompanied by showers of rain, hail, and snow. > Octobe'rhas t come in most unpleasantly, with showery nights and windy days. '.During the last three weeks, thece have' been very few days on • which 'the ground has been dry enough for harrowing, and a considerable extent of land intended for oats ia still unsown. The fine weather in the beginning ot September started the grass, but there has been very little growth since, and the Invercargill Hundred being overstocked, most cattle "are very thin. Cattle being low in price, and labor high compared with Britain, the British system of stall-feeding will not pay, although some farmers, who have families, adopt it to some extent.

Invercargill has been very «quiet. Since the jollification over the starting of the railway, there • haye been neither lectures 01 public amusements, unless, we may ttsrm such, the Wesleyan anniversary soiree, which was numerously attended, ' and passed off most successfully. A fine brick building ia in course of erection for a grammar school. In response to advertisements, for teachers, forty, three ap^ plications were received for the ' Office of head- master, seventeen for that of second master, and nine for that of schoolmistress. The committee de- ' cided to appoint a lady engaged in teaching in town as schoolmistress ;' but the" number of applications for the mastership, delayed a decision. I The Municipal-. Council proceed with • the work of improving the town. When comnrencinsj- "operations, the salary of Ttfivjr'^Clerk .'was fixed at ,£IOO, and that -of Surveyor at £50 j ; per annum. With' increase of revenue 'and -work, the salary of Town Clerk Jhas been raised to' £lßo, with £20 ad'(lMoftal 'a£' valu'ator^ the Surveyor is tleaVirig _, the province, and a' successor ■is' advertjsed .for at. £200 per annum. The main north road runs -in r a straight line for several miles.- Abouttt .tnile.from the town the Waipohe riveriscrosaed/'and the "'construction of a new bridge has been commenced there. To save the expense. of a temporary br'dge to accommodate the traffic, the old bridge has been left standing, and an inconvenient bend occurs on and of the . new bridge-. A strong feeling

-figaifilVW^d^^^^rWsgtfit ijp tnet&o^eiftinentionj^lieij.pu^jectjibfttjtqe.chiefrroftdi engmeernhssj not recommended compliance with the. wish expressed. . ; • \ '/. ■"' : Sbine? of the recently elected Roadi Boards have held meetings, ' but ; mi6j3t< members are" dissatisfied with the boundaries defined, by' the Ordinapce^.anda' majority of the settlers arVin favor,, of an acreage rate,, which j4he r , Ordinance doeß not allow,- No appointments have been irtai!e.-o¥ practical steps*' taken towards levying rates, but the members of the Invercargill Road Board have invited Southland, Road Boards to send delegates to a conference. Although Messrs Brogden are to receive a much larger sum for construction of the Mataura railway than Mr. Brunton's estimate, the formation, bridges, <%'c.,, on Woodlands section, haye'been let under that gentleman's calculations. The various sub-contrac-tors are pushing oh their works, but I hear that, some of them experience a difficulty in obtaining a sufficient number of men.