SOUTHLAND NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14446, 12 February 1909, Page 3

SOUTHLAND NOTES.

(From Oun Owx CoitßEsroxDOT.) INVKRCARGILL, February 11. There is (jtiilo a rush of Sontliiandeiis for the Ilonte Country just now. Amongst those who intend making Ihe trip are Mr 11. M'Bride (Wyndhain), Mr and Mrs ]Sallantvnc (Mumble), Mr ami Mrs Watson (Hcddon Hush), Mr W. J. Riddell, Mr James Storrie, Mrs 0. Lindsay, IJr and Mrs Young. Mis W. Bcimie, 3ir and Mrs Waller Robinson, Mr and Mrs F. M'CnlJocli, Mrs S. A. Watson., and Mr and Mrs T. M. llacdoiiiild (all of luvcrcargill), INSPECrOIUIKNIiItAI.! OF ,SCHOOLS. Mr George Hoglwn, Inspector-general of Schools, paid a flying visit- of inspection to the lnvercargrll schools to-dny, and returned north by this afternoon'A express. Tilt; FLAXMILL INDUSTRY. A flaxmill-owner yesterday stated fo a reporter that there are at- present 10 fltixmills at work in iSouthlnnd, employing some. 000 bawls, as against. 10 mills in operation a few years ago, when there was a. Imom in Ihe business. The cause ot' so many closing was Ihe drop in values in the Home market, and that millers had no other course to adopt is la be seen by the fact that, whereas £38 was once obtainable, the price is wnv £20. lie st.ited that- he owned several mills, and that he would not open again until the raw article was to be procured at a reasonable figure. Royalties, he added, li.kJ not. been reduced in sympathy with values, and there was very little'in the industry. The 10 mills running were supplying Messrs Ponagbv and CVs and Civukkclr.tnkr (InverciTgill) twine mills, which absorbed nearly the whole of the output, the Dunedin linn at present Iteing a very large customer.

MUNICIPAL II ATT ICRS. At tlie meeting of the Town Council to-night the recommendation of the Abattoir Committee that the killing at Ihe Municipal Abattoir .should be done by contract, was received with unanimous hostility from the i-est of the council. The general .lpiniim was that, while the contract system might- he tlu> hottor when the killing was quadrupled in volume, tin' present- method ot each butcher doing his own killing was satisfactory all round. Kveiituallv tlio recommendation was struck out. Regarding the report submitted relative to stops being taken concerning the amalgamation <>( the main and suburban lwrouglis, a map containing alternative areas wa.s placed before the council, which unanimously expressed approval of amalgiumition. H was doeided that the alternative area be rofecm) I<> a Public Commitlw, which has already been appointed, to consider the question of amalgamation, and a motion was carried that- whenever t-ho Public Comtnitteo decides on whatW'a slionld be included in the amalgamation scheme, a poll of the ratepayers of Jmoreargill be taken on tta question. i 'iwstkm of the property valuations made recently i„ the borough bv the ourilllielit valuer was discuss* l *! at-great length. H was agrwd, with the utmost, unanimity, t-luit- the valuations were excessive, am it was Ui»t t-hev had been made by a valuer who did not- have pledge oMocal yuluw. A councillor intimated that the \ablation Department was willing to postpone the dale for lodirang objections lor * reasonable time and tjic council appwrrtcd a committee to c o through t-lie valuation roll. and to „«5t the valuer and dacuw with lum what Wluation they considered e.sooMivo. and to report to neit meeting of d-e ouiincil.