SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2253, 6 May 1897, Page 30

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

Invercargill, May i,

With a low glass we are having exceedingly fine weather for this season of the year, it being warm and calm. Though quite a number of sheep have already been put on the turnips, there is a lot of growth yet in the grass paddocks, and excellent pastme. Sheep suitable for turnip-feeding have jumped up in value fully 3s per head during the past month, and judging from present prospects they aye not likely to be of any greater value when they come off the turnips than now. The eagerness to get the turnip land fed off in time for ciopping purposes is probably the cause of putting the sheep on so early this year.

The big ocean liner Mataura arrived at the Bluff I vest<-rd-»y morning, and will take on board here I from the Southland Freezing Works 15,000 carcases of lamb and about 5000 cases of frozen rabbits. From here she sails to Timaru, and thence to Lytteltoii for her final departure. Great progress is being made with threshing ; operations and the cartage of grain to the railway ! siations. The country roads generally are now in i excellent, order. The number of sacks of gram carried lust week over ihe Southland railways was 52,818. This exceeds any previous week's record for this or any other season. If trucks weie available the quantity would have been even greater, for there are still stacks of grain in sacks to be seen waiting trucks at nearly every wayside station thiougbout ths district. j A fair amount of Miriness was dona in oats on Saturday, but at "a slightly lower price than was luling the previous week ; and to-day the fall in values is still more -noticeable. Some of the big firms are not buying at. all, while others are only** offering "Is 9d a' wajside stations— say within 50 miles of the Bluff.

! Whit with tbe excellent prices going this Feason ! for wheat, outs, linseed, sheep, aud rabbits, i matters are beginning to boom again in the country. The fie?zmgand export of rabbits has | suddenly btcoine with us such an important ' industry that I am sure the maj rity would resent j vigorously any attempt of the Stock department just now to introduce such a disease as the rnuch-talked-of chicken cholera as a means of exterminating tht-m. At present we have only the | meat freezing \vo:lcs at Mataura and Ocean Beach 1 acting as depot 3 for the receiving and freezing of the dead rabbits, but if the demand keopa up to anything like what it is at present small refrigerating chambers in more convenient centres will soon be established. Fivepence per pair is the price now Leiug p Aid for trapped rabbits at country railway stations. A few weeks ago representations were made by settlers in the Hokonui district to the Hon. J. G. Ward to continue the working of the Hokonui lailway in the interests of the settleiv. Mr Ward wrote to the Minister for Public Works anil the Minister for Bailways urging that suitable arrangement-! should be made and that the extension of the railway line should be continued. He also interviewed them both several times in Wellington on the matter. It will be satisfactory for those concerned to know that the Minister for Public Works ha* informed Mr Ward that the line from Winton to Hokonui will be thoroughly repaired and the extension gone on with. For this purpose the first of the raih and fixings have arrived at Winton. Some 720 tons of new 401b rails and fixings have been consigned to Winton for this purpose. I saw the plans and specifications the other day of the new steamer Messrs Dore and Sheppard, of Manapouri, are having built for the Lake Te Anau tourist traffic. It consists of a strong iron framework 60ft in length with lift bsam, and depth of hold at midships of sft 6m. The framework aud all iron parts and machinery will of necessity go up to the lake in sections, where the planking, which is to be of red birch or red pine, will be bolted to the frams in such manner that, while adding to the strength of the whole, a damaged or faulty plank can at any tima easily be removed and replaced by a new one. She is to be propelled by tvyiu screws driven by two double high -pressure engines. Her mean draught is estimated at 3ft, with a speed of 14 knots on eyeu water. The whole construction has been designed with a view to the vessel being able to steim up and down the Waiau River (certainly as far as where the Mararoa joins it, and possibly at some future time as far as Chfden, and also up and clown that part of the Waiau connecting Lake_ Te Anau with Lake Manapouri). The total cost is estimated at £1390, and everything is to he finished in time for the commencement of the tourist traffic next summer. What has made this important undertaking more difficult for Messrs Dore and sheppard to accomplish is that no insurance can be effected upon the steamer when launched, because no authorised survey and chart of these lak<>s (Manapouri and Te Anau) has ever been made. This is_ a difficulty that it is hoped the Government will remove with as little delay as possible. Mr Gilfedder. M.H.R., and the Ron J. G Ward, who have shown in every way their recognition of the great advantages that will accrue to the colony as a whole and to this district in particular in the more complete development of the tourist traffic in these localities, are also showing an active interest ia Messrs Dora and Sheppard's present venture, a3 well as any other work in the way of opening up new routes and improved roads and tracks from the western arms of the lakes to the fiords on the west coast of the island, Ac. The clerk of the local Magistrate's Court has received up to date 269 applications from people of 65 years and upwards under the Registration of People's Claims Act. Forty -five of those received were rejected, some of the applicants not being of the required age, others not having resided in the colony the stipulated numbar of years, and some having been absent from the colony longer than the time specified.

On Friday afternoon a spaniel dog which was swimming outside the Bluff wharf was snapped up by a large shark anrl taken under instantly. The shark was an exceptionally large one, and attempts were made to capture it, but without success.

The Southland H and C.A. Board has receivzd 12 offers of laud, 50 acres in extent, and in the vicinity of Invercargill, for use as a farm to give employment to those inmate 3of the home able to do light work. This is the outcome of a resolution passed at the last meeting of the board, when it was stated that some of the men who were being maintained at the ratepayers' expense were sufficiently strong and healthy to give some return for their keep, while if the proposal were carried into effect it was asserted that the necessity, for increasing the accommodation at the home, which the board also had under consideration, would be obviated. The offers will be dealt with at the ordinary meeting of the board to be held on Thursday week

The Invercargill Garrison B<nd arrived at the Bluff by the g.s. Mararoa yesterday morning from Melbourne, where they had been to take part in the Australasian Baud Contest at Easter. Though they only gained fourth position amongst the numerous competitors, this appears to be highly satisfactory under the adverse circumstances they were placed in through experiencing an exceptionally rough passage over and having to play their competition pieces immediately on their arrival there before they had time to recover from the effects of the sea sickness. They received a mo3t enthusiastic reception at the Invercargill railway station from a large concourse of citizens, and were formally welcomed home and congratulated by his Worship the Mayor of Invercargill.

At the inquest on the body of Alexander •Roger M'Kellar, who shot himself at the Glcnalvon boarding house, the jury returned an open verdict. —

Mr Eyre Kenny, S.M. at Wellington, has decided that the Government Insurance buildings were not liable to rating by local bodies, as life insurance was essentially one of the great departments of tbe Crown.

Mr R. B. Fletcher, representing Simeon Bros., of Melbourne, arrived by the Tarawera with the plant to fix up the electric light in the Agricultural Hall. The gas engine came out in the Waifcanei,