DUNEDIN ITEMS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 25, 30 January 1908, Page 3

DUNEDIN ITEMS.

' ' ' DUNEDIN, This Day. In four hours this morning seats to the amount of £800 were booked for Madame Clara Butt's two concerts here next week ' THE STOCK MARKET Already the pinch of dry weather is felt in tho stock market. The price of sheep at the Burnside sales to-day showed the large decline of about three shillings per head, and of dattle 15s per • head ¦ The explanation is that' the supply heavily exceeds the demand. De. spite the. fact that prices have declined gradually for the past few weeks, the supply does not decrease. This means that graziers, on account of scarcity of feed, cannot hold their 'stock: There is no chance of the frozen meat buyers -elieving the as .the ¦ comparatively low prices 'ruling at Home will riot permit ' them buying" to advantage. Though there is no immediate probability of an increased price to consumers, that undesirable result must eventuate unless feed becomes moio plentiful. ¦ - ' ' CONSTITUTION OF HIGH SCHOOL • . BOARDS. •The constitution' of- both the Dunedin and Waitak' High School Boards came in for adverse criticism." at '"yesterday's meeting -of the Otago Education Board. The main, cause- for fault-finding was that parents' of' the pupils' jiad' no voice in the management of either institution. The Rev. P., 8..' Fraeer, speaking as a country member, cleclarcq ¦ that the Dunedin Board jvas lacking in pfogresbiveness,' its methods we're antiquated, and it lagged behind ,' other boards ijn the colony which were ,usef ul and", up to date. The Hon. T. Fergus complained of the inundation of public bodies with Government 'nominees, who .were able to control to a large extent- many matters of public interest without being public representatives. ' ' ". WORK •OF THE ' DREDGES., . .Echoes of tho dredging .boom 'of a few years aj»o are furnished by, some returns published, this evening. The registration of the Sailor's Bend 'Company, was effected in September, 1899, arid since ¦ then until '3lst December 41"50 or, of gold, valued at- £16,0*1, has been obtained.' . The' amount paid as dividends totals £5586, and th© cost of operations equals £17,947. . . Unclaimed dividends total £13, and nine men are employed. ¦ ' >• •' ' ' Ihe total amount of gold produced by the Electric Gold Dredging Company fincp September. 1899, the date of registration, until 31st December of bsfc jear, is 45,f1290z, valued, at £liQ.sßb, and t*ho total expenditure on operations £56,791. The .dividends' paid amount to £122,842, and eighteen men are employed. Since- Ihe regiitr.itiou of lh« Alexandra Lead Company on 18th July, 1899, until 31st December, .the total quantity of gold produced amounts' to 85430z, valued at £32,932 The total coh of operations r.inc'e registration amounts- to £d&,B%Q. Ten men arft , employed, and the total amount of dhidends paid is £14,032. - - The New First Chance Gold Dredging Company was Registered' in ber, 1906, and up to, 31st December last has obtained ],41oz of gold,, \alued at £541. When dredging nine men - are engaged.' .BOWLING. }Ir Payne, ex-president of the 2>few Zealand Bowling Association, who has just returned from a two months' holiday in the Commomvealth, states, thatbowling is going ahead, on the other side ~in a wonderful manner, and that there is ahvays a warm welcome for members of the fraternity from this side. " Although he was unable- to prevail 'on' bowlers to make a tour of the South Island this season, Mr. Payno cays that it is now almost a certainty that a very strong representative *cam will. make the~lrip, and play in \arious centres of the South Island during the beginning of next year He was present at the inter-State matches between Victoria and New South Wales, .and, after taking particular notice of the play, of trie Australians, he" is convinced that, . although the New Zealand Bowling Association numbers, amongst its ranks many, first-class men, there are many players in Australia who are' equally as capable as our best. He anticipates a rare time for a" team which makes the Australian torn- at Easter under the guidance of Mr, J. Haih, of Invercargill .