SOUTHLAND.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9364, 13 March 1896, Page 6

SOUTHLAND.

When trouble comes you have got to face it, well, that is just pur case, for with the exception of & few weeks at Christmas and the New Year we have had no summer; just about nine months of storm. _ Hard lines, but as I have just said it has" to be met. Under such circumstances outsiders would wonder at our having any crop at all, but- we shall, and strange as it may appear, we shall have a big oat crop, but it is a hard fight—rain, wind and hail—yet the work goes on ; but it is the cool wind that does it. Down comes the rain, then the cold wind comes and the sheaves are dry again. Cutting is easy, stooking is easy, but waiting for a chance to get the crop stacked, that's the job; but we will manage it, we are used to this sort of thing, and are not easily put about. The people who live in more favoured spots will perhaps wonder how we manage to gather in a crop at all under such fearful difficulties, well, it simply amounts to this, we have to face the position, we are full of great expectations, and we anticieverybody knows what that means. Plainly speaking we are poor, consequently we take every opportunity of borrowing all we can, we couldn't possibly foresee such dreadful weather, and we must make some sort of a show of an asset, otherwise, what is going to become of us during the winter. Our leading characteristic is that we never miss an opportunity. The Government are going to put more life into the lending department, well, seeing a good opening we are going to put more vigour into the borrowing department. We take all we can get, always have done. We act wisely and well, we put all the money into the land, and land can swallow a lot of money; it's there nobody can get it out again. The security is all right, only it's not realisable at present, but that's not our fault. Mortgage Companies were anxious to get their money invested, and we helped them. What more could we do? Now we are ready for a new start; they are all exhausted, and, now we are anxiously -waiting for something to turn up, and if nothing turns up, why, we cannot help it; we are quite willing to assist capital if capital has only got the courage to come bur way ; biit we'have given the State Bank up a3 a bad job, as another Liberal fad exploded. ' There is trade about evidently, for on May Ist a big southern stock firm are coming down here to start business. They are welcome, always ready to welcome new comers, especially if thsy have any money, but they will go away again when they have had enough of it, our firms always do. We are too good to them and they can't stand

it, but they get a lot of experience and that 13 always useful in this world. We have had a lot of visitors lately ; the Australians came for a change and they got it and no mistake. The Evangelists are about again putting the fear into us—we are awful sinners—and they do frighten us so ; we are only mortal, and like most mortals have our fits of repentance, but they rub it in too strong, now and then. The devil as a roaring lion, and the second coming, and discourses of this sort, have a disturbing influence; Aye don't like it. What we really feel anxious about is the turnip crop. Pine apples, and grapes are of consequence to some places, but we have to be content with turnips, and turnips are not looking as well this year as usual. However, we must just muddle through it somehow. Sheep are up in price, and lambs are in great demand; and despite the storms, we have had a flower show, a regatta, school excursions,"cricket and football matches, all of which goes to show what hardened sinners we are. Up to the neck we may be financially, but we have to live, and in "these times it doesn't do to be too particular in the manner of doing it.