INVERCARGILL

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVII, Issue 50, 14 December 1899, Page 19

INVERCARGILL

(From our own correspondent.)

The General Election is now an event of the past. Southland has shown decidedly that its sympathies are with the Liberal Government, and has returned four good men, three of whom — the Hon. J. GK Ward, Messrs. McNab and Gilfedder — are tried veterans. Mr. J A. Hanan, the fourth member, had a ereat victory over Mr. J. W. Kelly, who for years had represented Invercargill. Mr. Gilfedder had a hard fight in the Wallace electorate, but he came out on top with a substantial majority of 198 votes.

An event which is of much importance to the Irishmen of Southland was the annual meeting of the Irish Athletic Society, which took place on December 1, when the following 1 office-bearers were elected : — President, Hon. J, G. Ward ; vice-presidents, Messrs. J. W. Ford and T. MeG-rath ; secretary, Mr. W. Hinchey ; treasurer, Mr. T. McGrath; directors, Messrs. T. Cavenagh, J. Sheehan, N. Kelly, P. Dunn, J. Shepherd, J. McNaraara, F. Downey, N. Moloney, J. Sinclair, J. McEntyre, C. Wells, W. Brettenden, J. B. Ford, W. Murdoch, and W. Nolan.

The members of the Catholic Literary Society believe in the deyel patent of the body as well as the mind In pursuance of thin principle, and under the patronage of the Very Rev. Dean Burke, they built for themselves a fine, well-furnished gymnasium and formed in connection with it cricket and football clubs. These have

been so successful that they decided to go a step further and to hold a sports' meeting on December 6. They engaged the Queen's Park and, although the General Election took place on the same day, the sports' committee have every reason to feel gratified with the result. A large number of trophies and medals were donated by the leading people of the town. Competition was open only to members of the Society. The principal winners were : 100 yds and 120 yds champion race, L. Morton ; 120 yds hurdles and 220 yds race, P. Reynolds ; one mile and 440 yds race, and Irish jig, T. Grace ; throwing the stone and hammer, A. Maher ; high jump, J Crawford ; long jump and hop-step-and-jump, P. Scully. Besides these there "were a number of smaller events, all of which were well contested. On Thursday evening the Society held a small social gathering at which the Very Rev. Dean Burke distributed the prizes.