SOUTHERN ITEMS

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 10752, 13 May 1898, Page 4 (Supplement)

SOUTHERN ITEMS

City abattoirs were opened on May 5, at Dunedin. The cost has so far been £10,000.

Government House, at Wellington, was lighted up by electricity for the first time on April 29. / The valuation of Christchurch city, has increased from £2000 to £3000 as compared With last year.

The proposal for a crematorium at Wellington is taking practical form. The Council will submit a vote of £2000 for the scheme to the ratepayers.

The singing of "The Star-spangled Banner" evoked a display of wild enthusiasm among a Dunedin audience recently. It is two years ago since the barque Coromandel turned on her beam ends and sank at the Wellington railway wharf. The attempt to raise her is still being pursued. A trade in frozen meat is being opened «p with Vancouver. The Wellington Meat Export Company have already shipped about 500 carcases of mutton to that port, and in all probability further shipments will be made.

The Westport Coal Company, New Zealand, employs 500 men, puts out 250,000 tons of coal per annum, distributes in wages annually £75,000, and pays the New Zealand Government for railage and royalties annually £30,000. The gross municipal revenue of Wellington for the past year was £118,913, actual revenue £83,461; expenditure £132,916, actual expenditure from revenue £89,035. Interest and sinking fund absorb nearly half the total revenue expended. The Qreenmeadows Vineyard, Napier, has this season yielded 8000 gallons of wine. The estimate was about 12,000 gallons, but this was not realised owing to the unfavourable weather. The return last season was 8900 gallons. The average was 300 gallons to the acre.

By the will of its late president (Mr. C. D. Barraud), the Academy of Fine Arts, Wellington, has been left £100 and two of his paintings of New Zealand scenery. Miss Shaen, an English visitor, has presented the society with "Springtide at Appledoro Ferry." by C. P. Knight, The ship Westland, bound from Sydney to Liverpool, with tallow, oil,and copra, put into Lyttelton on April 13. Off Bounty Islands she met with very heavy weather, which caused her cargo to shift, and a good deal of damage was done. She came to Lyttelton to effect repairs and to have her cargo restored. On Friday, April 15, a totara pile, 12ft 6in long, llin thick, was washed ashore at New Brighton Beach. Carved near the point is "G. Marriner, 1 N.Z., 1847." Tho part which has been under water is perfectly sound, but tho top is quite rotten. It is thought to have been washed ashore from Nelson.

The chairman of Dunedin Agricultural Hall Company has received a letter from Messrs. Sargood, Son, and Ewen, enclosing £100 towards the general funds of the company, the writers expressing the hope that it may prove acceptable towards the end in view, namely, eventually to hand over the building to the Otago A. and P. Society, for the benefit of the tity. The Canterbury Chamber of Commerce have passed a motion to draw tho attention of the other Chambers of Commerce to the probable effect the federation of the Australian colonies, including Tasmania, would have on the export trade of New Zealand, and to desire their co-operation in asking the Government to endeavour to arrange reciprocal interchanges of the principal products of each colon}'.

To encourage the development of the oil industry, the New Plymouth Harbour Board has released the Petroleum Company from payment of rent for the leases of oil-bearing lands, which it holds from the Board, until 1900. The Board has made a similar concession to the holders of all ironsand leases, which the lessees intend to place in the hands of influential brokers in England in the hope that some capitalists will come along and take them up and work the ironsand deposits. In reporting upon several small samples of mineral oil found on the sea-coast of the northern portion of the Middle Island of New Zealand, Mr. W. Skey, Government Analyst, says: " These are all almost colourless, and appear to bo of a light character. They are undoubtedly of first-class quality ; in fact, almost too good to be named petroleum. One distillation of this oil should, by taking off the very lightest oils, adapt it for use in ordinary kerosene lamps, as a good illuminant."

The barquo Laira, which was sunk by collision with tho steamer Wakatipu in Dunedin harbour, was successfully raised on April 23. At the sale of wool the whole of the cargo, consisting of 1100 bales, was quitted under brisk competition, prices ranging from £6 2s 6d per bale to £4'; the latter price, however, was for a small lot particularly damaged. The average is considerably over £5 10s per bale. The Laira, having discharged all her cargo, was towed to Port Chalmers to-day and taken into tho graving dock,

A fire was discovered at Dunedin en May 1 in the ironmongery shop and warehouse of Messrs. John Ed'mond and Co., Princesstreet. The principal damage was done by smoke, water, and steam, but it is impossible to give an estimate until the stock has been thoroughly overhauled, as the tools packed in boxes, electroware in cases, etc., were all affected. Probably the damage will reach £2000. The value of the building and stock is set down roughly at £50,000, and the insurances in all come to nearly £40,000. Tho Standard office has the risk on the building, and the stock policies are divided up amongst the other offices, the largest single line being £1000 in tho South British.

'The members of the Christchurch Industrial Association are already considering the question of making arrangements for the jubilee of Canterbury, At the meeting of the General Committee of that body a few days ago, Mr. R. Allan gave notice of a motion that a sub-committee be appointed to consider and report as to the best means to be adopted to obtain all available information in connection with the early settlement of Canterbury, with a view to celebrating the jubilee in connection with the Jubilee Exhibition of that year. Mr. H. B. Kirk said that the Hon. T. Fergus had promised that ho would do all in his power to help the Canterbury people when they held their jubilee, he having been largely instrumental in carrying out the arrangements in Dunedin. Mr. Kirk suggested that the Jockey Club and the A. and P. Association might be induced to hold over till December their annual events, which usually took place in November. It would help'both those bodies and the exhibition.