SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2263, 15 July 1897, Page 30

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) Invercargill, July 13. We have bad another week of mild weather, and mostly flue. Country and stock in all direc. tions are looking well for this season of the year, and capital progress is being made with, farm work generally. Some of the autumn-3own crops avenow well above ground, and looking promising. The days are perceptibly lengthening, aud prospects generally have a bright outlook for the agriculturist and pastorelist of this district. It is only the other week I referred to the large lines of store sheep coming down from Cantertmry to this district. Now I am able to report tha sale of a biS line of fat sheep that have been purchased here by a Canterbury buyer to go north. Mr R. Dubloc, of the New Zealand Shipping Company, has compiled the following comparative table of exports from Bluff Harbour to the United Kingdom for the past five years : — Comparative Statement of Exports from Bluff Harbour to the United Kingdom.

This does not give anything like an adequate idea of tho whole of our exports, as the following railway returns* for grain carried siuce Mirch 1 last will show. From March Ito July 10, 189S, there were 448,379 sacks grain carried over the Southland section of the New Zealand railways, aud for the came period 1897, 518,287. The' last few years very few oats (which aieour chief eraia produce) have been shipped to the United Kingdom, "while the quantity shipped to Australia and northern parts of the colour is ever on the increase. This is the season for ploughing matches, and duriDg tho past week we have had one at Wyndham and one atMataura, while to-morrow we are to have one at Wrey's Busk and another at Drumon Friday, and the champion match for all Southland on some date not vet fixed, but during the next fortnight. At Wyndham Messrs G. Cusbnie,' R. M'Kay, E. Todd, and J. Neill were the principal prize-takers, and *t Mataura-Messis G. Cushnie, H. Todd, J. Taylor, and J. Neill. Urgent steps are now being taken to have the main roaus leading into lnvercargil' (both north and east), which are at present in a disgraceful state, put in decent repair. A deputation that waited on the Southland County Council Ust Frida\ stated that the Hon. J. G. Ward, upon •whom they had waited, had been in communication with the Acting-Premier, and that £1000 would be voted for the North road and £500 for the East road on c->ndition that the council granted a subsidy of equal amount. Afser various ways and means bad been discussed, it was resolved— "That this council, with the view of obtaining the money vote proposed by the Hon. J. G. Ward, suggest to the petitioners that a special rating district be constituted, to include all ratepayers who are served by the part of the North road in question." Cr M'Queen thought tbe ratepayers of Awarua should take steps to abolish the riding, so that some of the other Tidings could be made to con ' verge on Tnvercargil), and in this way a wider area would contribute to the maintenance of tlje road. So far as his riding was concerned, money for the North road might as well be spent in the North I»land, for the ratepayers scaicely ever had a machine on it. Mr Giltuth, Government veterinary surgeon, is in Southland at present. On Thursday he visited a farm in the Winton district wheie there is a horse suffering from what is known as the ""Wiuton" disease.' After visiting Eder.dale, Mr Gilruth proceeds to Clydevale (Clutha) to make further observations regarding the chicken cholera experiment which he initiated there On the information of Mr David Johnston, collector of customs, last; week Thomas 'J. Murphy, of Bluff, pleaded guilty of fraudulently neglecting to make true and exact entry and report of the ; actual quantity of beer^sold and removed for sale , from his brewery on a certain date, and was fined £50, aud costs £3 10s, and all beer utensil;, etc., I forfeited. i «3<The native school at Colac Bay is now under the control of the Education Board, and steps are about to be taken to appoint a bo*rd teacher. Messrs Thomas Gilray (Bluff) and Edwin Pollard (Clifton) have been appointed the Government nominee members of the Bluff Harbour .Board. For the vacant seat on the Southland Education Board 47 committees nominated Mr G. R. George, 32 Mr W. B. Scandrett, and 17 Rev. W. White. The committees have now to select one of the three, which choice has to be made on or before the 31st instant. Mr J. Gammell, late inspector of schools for Southland, president Teachers' Institute, aud chairman Athenaeum Committee, has resigned the latter office, becauee the committee has decided to borrow a large sum to extend present . atheDteum building and erect new ones on their ■ valuable site adjoining the post and telegraph offices. Iv the course of his letter resigning he j says : "I take this step not lightly, but j because I cannot and will not be a party to giving effect to a policy which, in the present circumstances of the athenteurn, I can only describe as one of recklessness and wanton indebtedness. And auy way, I for my part am toe old now to learn the way to the pawnshop. That my protest will be unheeded is probable enough Borrowing to the verge of bankruptcy and beyond it is now the fashion in New Zealand, but it is a mischievous and ; dangerous fashion all the same, and-one to which I wise men will be no parties. However, it is use- \ less to write further on this point at present ; to ! stop a New Zealand corporation from overwhelm- ', ing itself in debt ia just now as hopeless a task as ! to prevent a moth from making into a candle flame." In accordance with an interview between Mr I Warden Hawkins and Mr Colin Robertson, of t Waikaia, and with the resolution of the South- : land County Council last Friday, a conference of ! wardens will take place at Gore next court day to . consider and define the boundaries of districts jxni I to do other business concerning the mining in- ' dustry. Mr R. L. Christie, of Waikaka Valley, has Eecured patent rights for a gripper key for tracI tion engines. After haying been used for a few d&ya.the key at present in use buckles over when

the strain comes, and has to be cut out. This means a great loss of time, occasioned sometimes by removing the grippers to merely take the engine across abridge. The key patented by Mr Christie, no matter how long it has been on, may be taken out and put on again in a few minutes. The Record Reign festivities in Wyndhani resulted in a net return of about £23, which will be handed over to the Atheureuru Committee.

Season July to June. ' Frozen ! Frozeu Meat. j Rabbits. Wool, Ac, 1892-3 1893-4 1894-5 1895-6 7 lbs. Crates. 12,156,146 — 12,011,187 — 11,862,561 1,435 9,928,407 6,83ti 10,088,316 35.413 I Bales. 26 532 29,653 28.G6S 26,880 25,123 Season Tallow, n..,.-,,-^ July to Pells, ] r &fZ ed Oats. Whea! June. &c. bleats. I Casks. Cases. Sacks. Sacks 1892-3 2,055 16,998 114,049 3,481 1593-4 3.038 15.602 113,697 1,052 1894-5 2,743 15,713 144,061 — 1895-6 3,155 15.671 3,606 — 1896-7 2,430 13,814 19,523 —