SOUTHLAND NEWS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXIII, Issue 16035, 16 September 1912, Page 10

SOUTHLAND NEWS.

[FuoM Our Correspondent.] INVERCAIIGILL, September 14. Mr J. R. Scott, secretary of the South Island Dairy Association, has received a cablegram from London reading as follows: —'*' Speculators are strongly bearing tho market for Canadian cheese. They have reduced their price temporarily full oighteenpence, despite the strong position, in order to reduce prices of New Zealand cheese." Mr Scott has also received information from tho North Island that a firm there is guaranteeing without recourse Gjjd f .Oil), for cheese outputs, with a provision that if the factories refuse this" price when offered by tho guarantor the outruit is then to'go to open consignment. Speaking to a "Southland Times" reporter, Mr Middlemass, Government hemp grader, said the flax industry gave promise of being exceptionally brisk this year. Already about fifty mills in Otago and Southland bad signified their intention of taking advantage of the payable prices ruling, and others would probably follow suit. Of this number fully forty are situated in Southland, and at tho very least they will each employ twelve men. This means that oven if the present number wore not added to, which is unlikely, there will be distributed monthly, iu wages alone in Southland, fully £SOOO. A prominent miller .said he did not think that there would lie any difficulty in obtaining a supply of suitable labour. A feature in connection with the industry this season has been the keenness displayed by North Island buyers of hemp, who have been of late busily engaged in snapping nr> as many outwits as they could. The running out of the raw material in Manila, which will probably also afreet next year's supplies from there, has made the position of New Zealand millers pleasantly secure.

A find which has aroused curiosity is a seven-chambered revolver and a partly-filled box of cartridges, which were discovered by Mr A. Ramsay,, building contractor, while demolishing the first Presbyterian Church in Tay Street. The articles wore wranped in an oily rag, and bidden on the roof between the sarking and shingles. Mr Ramsay says they could only have been put there when theclinrcl) was being built or when additions were made ill 1833. Mr Stron" of Messrs A. and TV; M'Carthy, said the revolver was a very old one. and would to-day be considered obsolete. Tho mate of cartridges, however, is still in use to-dav, and these are in excellent order. Tt would be interesting to know how the revolver came to be deposited in such a peculiar place, and what the object of the owner was.