SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES, (From Our Own Correspondent.) Invercargill, November 26.

Otago Witness, Issue 2179, 28 November 1895, Page 30

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES, (From Our Own Correspondent.) Invercargill, November 26.

The coldness and backwaidncss of the season iv thisdislretiScauMngserious alarm tongriculturists, greatly einbarras si o g gi aziers, and the cold, sbow cry weather we have expeiieuced this week is gieatly humbugging shearing operations on both farm and station. This morning there was a sharp frost, severe enough to blacken the potato growth, in many parts of the western distiict at least, and there is as much snow now on the distant mountains as we have s^eu in un ordinary winter.

The greatest interest has been evinced in the big Supreme .Court case tried in Dunedin last we^c— Southland Frozen Meat Company v. Nelson Bros. There it not much sympathy felt or 'expressed in these parts for Nelson Bros., because, probably, they are not much known, but there is a very general expression of satisfaction at the highly creditable part our local celebrity, the Hon,. J. G. Ward, appears to have played in fhc piece all through. No layman, I suppose, is expected to understand the exact meaning of the verdi-t, but a general conclusion seems to have been arrived at by the puMic that the woist that can happen for Nelson Bros, is to have to pay £7000 damage.", but that they will piobably go on appealing and appealing from one court to another until there will be nothing to be gained in the end by the plaintiff company. A very laige number of people this morning took advantage of the cheap fires to visit Dunedin during show and race week. This was from InvercargiU aloce, and th^re is no doubt th.-vt a proportionately large number of country folk will book from the intermediate stations. These frequent cheap excursion fares give a great amount of pleasuie to a large number of people, and on a day like this it is quite common to hear the Hon. Mr Cadman spoken of as the ablest and best Minister for "Railways tho country has ever had, and on no account would they again consent to the railways being handed over to three cornmi- sioner3 to manage as before. The Newbury Spada Musical Festival Company appear in Invercargili next week for two nights only— viz . on the 2nd and 3rd December. Mr J. J. Mtikle, who served a long term of imprisonment for sheep-stealing, and since his ielea>e, after overcoming a gieat number of legal and other difficulties, successfully brought a charge of perjury against the man who w»s tho principal witne-s against him when he was convicted of the offence, now announces a course of lectures he intends giving in InvcrcarKill and other towns shoitly. 'J he first is entitled "How an Innocent Man was made a Convict in 2few Zealand," and the other " His Life as a Convict in the Criminal Colleges of New Zealand."

The contest for the Invercargill mayoralty totnorrow is sure to be keen, and the polling of both candidates — viz., Mr J. W. Mitchell and Mr J. Sinclair, will probably be very close. Both sides express themselves veiy confident of success. 'l"he Southland Kacicg Club have decided to hold a summer meeting on Thursday, 2ud January, and have included in their draft programme a hurdle race, maiden, two trots, selling lace, and three handicap flat races.

At the new settlement at Waiau Mouth, and west of Waiau, small birds aru proving more troublesome to settlers than tho rabbit; especially the green linnet, which are therein million?, and peis'st in pulling up the young turnip.', and shoots from nearly all other small seeds. Tho gross takings at two concerts held in Wiaton lately in aid of the local braes band amounted to £2J> 4s. The proceeds are to be devoted to procurir g additiou«l instruments. Mr Hugh Erekine, of the Waiau, had a seiious lobs last Wednesday, his dwelling house being but-ned, together with its contents. He had only that day taken a large quantity of provisions and clothing over the river and had them in the house just a few hours before the fire occurred. Nothing ■was saved. Mr Erskine's loss is a heavy one' and he has the sympathy of the entire community, an ore especially as he and his boits have always been at "the disposal of anyone wanting to cross the river, and to such ho and Mrs Erskinc always showed the greatest kindness. MupLovtll, of Cbristchurch, has been engaged by the Tnvercargill Choral Union to sing the tenor music of " The Messiah " at their concerts on the 9th and 10th December.

An inttancing the danger of allowing cattle to graze at large on public roads and thoroughfares, a girl i>ged seven years, daughter of Mr Jas. Tomlins, of North Inveicargill, was deriously injured by a kick from a horse on Sunday evening. Tbe child was going home with her parents and others of the family, and tried to frighten away a hora« which was glazing on. the road and standing partly on the footpath, when the at.imal lashed out and struck the gitl on the forehead. The skull was badly fractured and the brain exposed. The little one was taken home and afterwards to the hospital, where a piece of bone wlmh was pressing on the brain was rais'.-d, to the immediate relief of the sufferer. The child has since been progressing favourably. As considerable attention is being paid by the people of this district to matters relating to the Invercargill Hospital, the followiug particulars, taken fioni the secre'ary's annual report, may be of interest :—" There have been 290 patients admittod during the past year, 29 deaths have taken place, and there are now 22 inmates. The expenditure has been £2i!)l 17s lOd, as compared to £2458 4s 5d for the previous year, the chief itemi being— tations, £570; surgery and dispensary, £163 3s 7d ; fuel and i:ght, £172 6s Gd ; salaries and wages, £845 12s Gil (lai-t year £798) ; repairs, £124. It will be not ; ced that there was an incr^ate in salaries of £47. This waa due to the fact J;hat an assistant had to te placed in the female wards owing to the increased number of patients. The revenue amounted to £2271 15s Sd, wade up aa follows :— From the Government, £1038 11b Id ; from local bodies, £947 10s ; subscriptions and donations, £78 17s 8J ; rent*., £7 ; patients' payments, £101 0a 3d ; medical attendance at home and gaol, £90 16s Bd. It will be noticed that the subscriptions and donations amount to only 3"5 per cent, of the receipts, truly a different condition of things to that of 10 years ago. The average daily cost per patient amounted to 4s o}d, or lets patients' payments 3s 10} d. Thij" varies considerably in the hnppita'a of the coldiy -Coromaudel being 30s 10d j er day ; Auckland, 4s IJd ; Dunedin, 3s lljd; Christchuich, 4s Id ; Wellington, 3s Hi ; Ttmnru, 5s &fd The average stay 'of each patient «rw: In our hospital, 34"31 days; Auckland, 31 G4 ; Duoedin, 31-53'; Wellington, 37 1!5. Out -door relief amounted to 2'i'H attendances; Auckland, 387S ; Chiistchurch, 3762 ; Wellington, 13,744. It will be seen t hat proportionately out-door lelief is more freely giveu in Inveicargill ihan in most centres, excepting Wellington. A Government grant of £1500 vriw made to tbe trut.t for building purposes. It did not suffice to build the handsome structure, the trustee? having to supplement it by £290. The new building is built in accordance with the mott modern requirement?. It has a northerly aspect and hap the sun all day. The trustees, being compelled to start the structure before the 31st March (otherwise the grant might lapse) and having most of tho wo k done during the winter, Ind that the building is not thoroughly dry, snd have wisely refrained from occupying it. The new addition consists of two large ward«, 34ft x 24ft, splendidly lighted, and with thorough means of ventilatiou ; the admission of both hot and cold air being provided for. Or.c noticeable feature is the spleudid staircase to the upper ward, which admits of the cairying of any st. etcher : in marked contrast <o the staircases in the older buildings. Dr MacGregor (inspector) was agreeably surprised 3t ths site occup'ed by the building. As will ba seen by his rrport he thought the build iug had a southerly aspect, but, as mentioned, the leverso is the cas-e. A matter that has given the trustees much congideration is tho admission of luaa'ic3 and delirium trentens cases. With female attendants much concern and trouble hss been occasioned. Tho present 'tiusfc advocate the building of a padced cell. 'J hey feel that the_ mentally afflicted are perhaps ruorc 'to be considered than the physically, and at present it is < he alternative of gaol or hospital. During Dr MacGre^or'a late annual visit of inspection he t iok exef-p-tion tJ the existing condition of things — viz , the absence of a matron. The trust fully

recognised the necessity of such an appoint- i ment, but also felt the importance of the task iv choosing one out of three who had been on an equal footing previously. The trust referred the matter to a committee who went exhaustively iuto the matter and reported. However, after many hours consideration they decided to appoint Mrs M'Kay to tho position in virtue of ability and experience. The following morning her two colleagues left without any warning whatever, or even going through the form of sendiug in an official resignation. However, the trustees made the necessary arrangements to carry on the woik. Applications have since been called for the vacancies. An unusual amount of interest was taken yesterday in a marriage ceremony at St. John's Church, Invercargill, when Mr I'rauk Scandrett, accouu'ant in the local branch of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company and son of our worthy mayor, entered into the bonds of matrimony with Miss Annie L Littlp, a young lady well known iv musical circles and a prominent member ot tbe choir of St. John's. The Yen. Archdeacon Stocker perfoimcd the ceremony. There was a choral service, and at i's conciusion quite a number of little girls in white were engaged iv strewiug ros a leaved and flowers from the church door to the bridal cauiuge. • At the Wyndham Police Court yesterday, before Mr J. W. Poynton, S.M.. Thomis King was fined £20 and costs (jC2) for having sold liquor without a license at the Wyudham sports held oa the 11th inst.