SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2210, 9 July 1896, Page 31

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

INVERCAUGII.L, July 7.

Though fine weather prevailed when I wrote my note 3 this day last week, and it is beautifully fine and pleasant again to-day, we have experienced come heavy rains and exceptionally big floods in the interval, some particulars of which I have telegraphed you from day to day as information from outlying districts was obtainable. It is etill difficult to ascertain the exact amount of damage settlers have sustained, but on the banks of the Makarewa and Mataura Rivers most of the losses to stock have occurred. The Oieti River was not exceptionally high. The Aparima was high for a short time, and so were all the streams which empty themselves into it, and the lowlying grounds in this valley were consequently badly flooded. The floods in all cases have subBided very rapidly. The floods in the Makarewa and Mataura were, it is generally admitted, the bigeest ever remembered here. One good result wnl bs the destruction of a great many r*bbits and their burrows. , Owing to the floods at Gore all business on Saturday was at a standstill, and many residents were driven out of their houses and had to seek accommodation in the hotels. The electric light was kept burning all night. ,_ There have been two or three instances of commendable bravery shown by rescue parties during -the flood at different places, but mo3t notable of all was that- of Messrs Wayte, Drummond, Duncan, and others in rescuing two miners •from Bell's Island, -in the Mataura River, somewhere between Stony Creek and Knapdalo. . , Between Lumsdea and Caslle Rock station a Bbepherd Lamed Anderson, was drowned at an early stags of the flood, but alcohol and inexperie'ncfld horsemanship appear to have been to blamafor this calamity quite as much as the floods. Deceased' was a young man aod had only ■recently arrived in' thu colony, »nd leaves a wife and young child unprovided for. The heavy rains of Thursday, Friday, and Saturday appear to have caused the greatest floods along the valley of the Makarewa. No doubt the rapid rise of the river is due largely to the fact that for some days previously the weather had been froaty, consequently the ground was quite hard and unable to absorb any water. In the district wh»re the Otapiri joins tbe Makarewa there is a comparatively narrow valley of river flats, boundad by terrace land, leading up to the Foie3t Hill Range on one side and the Hokonui Range on the other. Down tbis valley the flood came like a raging torrent, and covered the flat lands to a depth of several feet. The Hokonui colliery is situated on this flat, and within a very short tin.c of the river overflowing its banks the pit yard became a perfect sea, the water rising with groat rapidity for some feet above the mouth of the j mine, down which it poured like a great waterfall. The men were all got out in safety, but in a few hours the workings were full to the very top. Tho large body of water forced the air into tho higher workings, where it became pent up under a high pressure, and actually burst the ground opea ia many places neav the outcrop with reports like the tiring of cannon. It w;ll take a long time to put the mine into working order agaiu. It is not improbable that in connection with the recently alleged sly- grog selling caso which I referred to lust week a prosecution for contpiracy to induce a breach of the law may yet take place. Evidence to a certain extent hasTbeen procured showing that a trap was laid for Mr Baxter and that the money supplied to the man in Mataura whoße sick wife required tho schnapps was provided by someone in Invercargill interested in the After struggling for 12 months to get a cheese factory erected at Waikawa Valley, the settlers have now decided to go in for a butter, making plaut, as being more easily financed arid requiring less milk. At a meeting held in Mr James Templeton's bouse on June.lß, aguaranteeof 135 share3at £1 each was given, as was also aguaranteeof milk

from 150 cows.' No less than 11 applications for special claims for mining areas from 20 to 100 acres each and 51 minor application* for mining leases and water races are to be heard at the Waikaia Warden's Court to-day. * At last Thursday's' meeting of the local borough council a supplementary report .was read from Mr Cameron, the Dunedin City Council's veterinary expert, in reference to daifies and the establishment of public abattoirs. With reference to dairies, he suggested the adoption of a system of licensing similar to that obtaining in Dunedin, and pointed out that by-laws for this purpose could be made under the Public Health Act. As to the butchers' Bhops, he suggested that they should also be licenced, as provided for in tha act passed in 1894. Coming to the question of abattoivs, Mr Cameron observed that the present ■wm a favourable time for their establishment, the vested interests in local slaughterhouses being very small. It wouW be unwise in. Ihe case of the majority of the slaughterhouses to insist on an expenditure on improvements that, although necessary, were impracticable. He estimated that • thoroughly equipped abattoirs could be erected for from £2500 to £3000. He reckoned the yearly expenditure (including interest on cost of construction) at £455, and tbe income at £500. The report was referred to the Sanitary Committee. The Finance Committee, to whom Mr Cameron's first report was submitted, recommend (1) that the owners supplying milk and meat bs notified that they must forthwith put their piemises in a proper sanitary condition, and to the satisfaction of the corporation inspector,, and that in tha meantime they each be furnished with a copy of Mr Cameron'* report in so far as it applies to their respective premises, &c. ; (2) that an advertisement be inserted in the local newspapers notifying to butchers supplying meat and persons selliuj: xuilk that they must apply to the corporation for licenses to dispose of same within the borough. Mr Cameron's repdrt further states ' that on au average 60 bullocks and cows and 400 shaep are killed weekly, to supply .the demand for • meat ia Invercargill and suburbs.. A tocUty |s to be formed iv Invercargill for the ducusiion of social, literary, philosophical, and other subject*, excluding party politics and

theology. When Mr J. L. M'Donald, local secretary for % the Otago School Commissioners, was on hu way home on Thursday evening last, he was suddenly seized with illness, and was hardly able to make his way as far as the Criterion Hotel, where he was promptly attended to by Mr and Mrs Collie and medical assistance summoned. Dr Mulholland, who lives close at hand, was in attendance as B<xm as possible, and Dr Young followed shortly aftcrwardo. It was found that Mr M'Donald was suffering from a severe attack of peritonitis. He if still very ill, but has been removed to his While makiug Riverton Harbour ou Thursday night the ketch C*valier got out of the channel and stranded on the beach near the Kaik. It is expected that the craft will be got off easily. Tho Bluff cargo of the steamer ftar of New Zealand which sailed for London on Thursday, compriied 11.057 carcases frezen meat and 2575 pieces, 800 cases meat, 264 bales wool and skins, and 84 casks t»llow and pelts. At tbe Wvndham ploughing match on Wednesrf&v John King won in the champion class, G. Hunter 2; Senior d.f., H. Toddl, R. M'Kay 2; Junior d.f., John Taylor 1, A. Ladbrook 2; diggers, A. M'Donald. All the winners used Reid flU At l«st P Friday's meeting of the Southland Educatioa Board \he Gore School Committee wrote urging that a district high school should be established at Gore, and as a jaehhcation ; instanced the success of several Gor» .vho.ars in higher education.-Referred to ttoOMiweter to report, several members considering die cequ st a reasonable , one. -IThe Southland iduc*tioual' lastitute wrote, urging the boaid to take' into consideration tEa advsableness of making recommendations of. the most eligible candidate for nny appointment in forwarding to comniittws the nanws of candidates, and that the board's nominee be appointed unless the committee show good reaison to the . contrary. Mr Froggatt said that the ™° lall ™ of the institute placed the board m their proper " position. In the past they had been acting In a levy lax manner. Mi 1 Lumsdea said tnat tor

several years past this matter had continually been brought up, and he thought they had better go Into the whole matter ana see what had been done. On, his motion the letter was received and referred to the .Executive Committee to report. — W.A. M'Oaw forwarded a report on the Saturday technical classes, and asked to be authorised to erect au additional building for the use of the classes. He proposed to have the assistance of the boys in the work, and the total cost would be about £20. The request was granted.— The Executive Committee reported as follows :— That the following appointments have, been made : Invercargill SouthMinnie Henderson, pupil teacher; Wnikiwl— Annie S. Boyd, pupil teacher; Gore— E!i3*beth Wilson, actiug pupil teacher. It was recommended that in future all vacancies for pupil teachers be advertised ; that applicants be supplied by the board with printed application forms ; that all appointments be made by the board after consultation, if necessary, with the inspectors and head teacher of the school to which the pupil teacher is to be appointed; that the inspector be requested to recommend such alterations (if any) to the pupil teachers' regulations as may be rendered necessary in consequence of the adoption of the foregoing resolutions. — MrMacleod, pursuant to notice, moved— " That the secretary be instructed to prepare a list of the uncertiftcated teachers at present in the employ of the board, and that the whole question of their employment be considered." The Hat which the secretary read included teachers who had been iv the employ of the board for eight, nine, ten, and fourteen years. He also read a circular which had been sent out by the board in 188) to uncartifioated teacher?, stating that they expected ihoae teachers at the next examination to qualify themselves for classification as certificated teachers, otherwise the board would have to consider the question of terminating their engagements. Mr Mackod pointed out that the act only .empowered the board to employ uncertificated teachers temporarily when certificated teachers could not be obtained. Thus at presont the board we're acting illegally; as there were plenty of teachers With certificates seeking employment, aud he knew th%re was a strong feeling among this latter class that uncevtiftca*ed teachers were holding positions they (certificated teachers) were entitled to. It was time the board took some definite action in the matter, and while he would not be in favour of summarily discharging all unce*tificated teacheiv, because it could not be denied that some had done, and were doing-, good work, there was no disguising the fact that they were holding their positions contrary to the law. The motion having been seconded and carried unanimously, Mr Macleod tabled a furthor motion that all uncerti Seated and licensed teachers be informed that unless they obtain certificates at the next examinations their engagemeuts with the board will terminate on March 31, 1897. After discussion, in which the members spoke in favour of the principle of the motion, it was temporarily withdrawn owing to an uncertainty existing as to the position of licensed teachers in the matter, and on the motion of Mr Lumsden, seconded by Mr Baldey, the whole matter was referred to the executive to bring up and report thereon.