SOUTHLAND STEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2342, 19 January 1899, Page 34

SOUTHLAND STEWS NOTES.

(From Oto Own Correspondent.) INVERCARGILL, January 17. Invercargill is at present suffering a relapse after the holiday season, and everything and everybody seems quiet. The weather has been very unsettled during the past week, and in the country this has considerably hindered haymaking and shearing operations. Crops of all kinds are showing a v.-onderful growth, and, indeed, there is just a danger in some places I of their making too much straw. The following is the rainfall for the separate 1 months of last year, as taken by Mr N. A. j M'Laren at Mb place, Kedfern, Otautau, to whom I am indebted for the particulars:--. No. of Days on which Month. Bain fell. Rainfall. Inches. January ». „18 .„ ,_,, 7.18 j February „ „15 , v ». 5.10 | March „, %\ 11 i, .. 4.87 April •.-« ,« 8 .» ». 1.97 i May .»• .. 15 .„ .» 5.83 June a .» 11 , a ■». 4.27 July fr «. 20 ... .. 9.85 j August i*. £, 8 ... ... 2.29 I September ,-, a - 9 .. „ 8.34 October .. .. 17 .5, ». 7.16 November , » . . 16 . « .. 4.86 December . . ... 8 .« .. 2.64 Totals .. „ 156 .. .. 58.81 I notice a public meeting is to be held at Otautau on Saturday next to consider the question of the Government subsidy for protective works on the Aparinia River. As tho subject is an important one, it is to be hoped that all interested will put in an appearance. 1 A meeting of the committee of the Chamber held yesterday to consider the proposed new police station was attended by Messrs R. Dunlop (chairman), J. Turnbull, R. Gilmour, J. P. Newman, and G. W. Nichol. After some conversational discussion, in which members concurred in strongly condemning the proposed structure, the following motion was carried unanimously in the name of the Chamber: — " The committee of the Chamber learns with exceedingly great regret that the proposed new police station at Invercargill will be out of ; keeping with other public buildings in the town, with modern private buildings in the same street, and will be utterly^ inadequate to the police requirements of the "district, and directs the secretary to respectfully iirge upon the . Minister in charge of the department the re- ! consideration of the subject, with a view to 1 the erection of a more suitable building; furi ther, that rather than that the proposed building should be proceeded with the Chamber I would respectfully suggest that the present edifice be allowed to remain until a building worthy of the town and the department car be erected." For the position of inspector of nuisances I for the borough of Invercargill there were 47 applicants accompanied by 81 testimonials. j There are 77 inmates of the Southland Old , Men's Home, and of these 34 were granted old age pensions, the recipients ranging from 65 to 86 years of age. Two of those whose claims j were thrown out were foreigners who had failed to get naturalised. One of these, a native of New Jersey, had been 43 years in the colony, and was 80 years old. La3t week one inmate aged 80 died just after filling up his claim for a pension. Mr J. W. Poynton very considerately attended the Horn* to hear the claims, thus saving the inmates the walk to and from the court. The total number of applications for pensions received by 1 the district registrar, Mr Colyer, up to Friday night was 264 — viz., 148 for Invercargill, 9 for Winton, 12 for Lumsden, 80 for Wyndhanj; 7 for Bluff, 35 for 'Waikaia, [ and 23 for Gore. The claims for the five places 1 first mentioned will be heard by Mr Poynton, i and those for Waikaia and Gore by Mr HawJ kins, S.M. Claimants are requested to notice , that their applications will be heard at the courthouse nearest their residences ; thus Mataura claimants will be heard at Wyndham, and so in the other cases. I understand that Mr Hunter Macandrew, the resident engineer in charge of the Southland section, is to change places with Mr T. J. M'Credie, who holds the same position in the Wellington section. A shark Bft 6in long was shot fiom one of tho wharves at Bluff on Friday. There was a ■ school excursion to Bluff that day, and the monster was no doubt looking out for a morsel to eat. The Wyndham correspondent of the Southern Standard has been inspecting the Government experimental farm at Wyndham, and says . This piece of land comprises about eight-acres, and ia under the superintendence of Mr-Robin-son, ihe local rabbit inspector It is planted 1 and sown with potatoes, turnips, carrots, I mangels, peas, and cabbages. There appears to be an endless variety of potatoes, tome of which are looking well, and others are a little backward. I presume there are also many different kinds of turnips, but the; are not far enough advanced for a novice to discriminate between them. Meantime I had to class them aa swede and common. The turaipa are pegged off every fourth" drill, and marked by a distinctive number, and by appearance I. should aay each allotment would contain from 12 to 13 poles. These allotments are, I understand, sown with different kinds of manures, and, in ; some cases, with different quantities i>i che j same manure. Thia experiment alone, when [ the results are published by the Agricultural ' department, should be of immense benefit to farmers. I have sent these few remarks, thinking it might interest some of youi readers to know that a Liberal tneasure la being csrried . oat in the centre of a very Conservative people 1 The plans and specifications for the new i police barracks are on view at the local survey ! office. The building is to bo of brick, with one storey and to have a 84ft frontage to Esk street. It is to take the place of the present wooden structure, which has been condemned aB unfit for habitation by the local municipal authority The building will consist of nine compartments, including two bedrooms each 13ft Sis z lIH fee tho constables, a provision

which must prove inadequate at times when the number of unmarried constables stationed in Invercargill exceeds the benedicts. The sergeant's office is to be situated in the front, at ono side of the passage, and at the other will be the watchhouse. The other compartments will comprise detective's office, store, bath, and clothes rooms, and one in which weights and measures will be kept. Only £500 has been voted for the building, which, of course, is insufficient to permit the erection of a larger structure. This is to be regretted, as the accommodation is likely to- prove insufficient for present requirements, and will much more fall short of future needs, as the town is a growing one. If the experience of other piirts of the world is to be accepted as a criterion, increased provision will have to be made for the protection of society from the inroads of the criminal class.

The Te Anau and MiHord Sounds correspondent of our morning paper says: — "For the past fortnight we have had magnificent weather. As a result, the track from the lake to the sound is fine and dry for travelling. A considerable number of visitors are coming and going on their holiday trips. So far nine have visited the sound, and nine others have gone over part of the track. Among the visitors are Mr T. E. Taylor, M.H.R., and party, from Christchurch. They were delighted with the beauty and grandeur of what they saw. Mr Taylor, I believe has formed a very high opinion as to the value of this district as a colonial asset. Ho says that as soon as the new steamer is running the Government should invite the editors of all the leading Australasian and Now Zealand papers and give them a free trip from the Bluff through to the sound and back. By the way, I hear he did not include Invercargill among the list of New Zealand towns having leading newspapers! "

The death 'is reported of the draught stallion Black Watch, which has for tho past two seasons been travelling in the Winton district. The horse, in passing 1 over Hillend bridge, stumbled and fell 15ft on to gravel covered with about 4in of water, the fall breaking his back. A thunderstorm passed over the Croydon district on Sunday. The lightning was more than ordinarily vivid. The thunderclaps were followed by torrents of rain, and in less than five minutes ordinary roadways were sheets of water. The downpour in some instances was accompanied by exceptionally, large hailstones. The force of the lightning may be judged from the fact that on the farm of Mr A. Martin one cow was killed by it, and at a-nother place several fowls were killed. The storm was comparatively light in Gore, only two miles away. In the Lakes district very loud thunder was heard, but no damage has been reported to have beon done by the lightning. Lake Wakatipu is very high, and rose over a foot during the heavy rain at the latter end of last week.

Tho Commissioner of Crown Lands (Mr D. Barron), two members of the Land Board (Messrs Kinross and M'lntyre), and Ranger Campbell left yesterday for Fortrose. During the week they will visit Otara, Waikawa, Mokoreta, and Waikawa Valley to inspect the holdings of those who have complained of excessive valuation.

To-night's Evening News says: "With regard to the new Police station in Invercargill, we are authorised to state that the matter is to be further considered by the authorities in Wellington, where the plans now advertised were prepared, and the advertisement inviting tenders is to be withdrawn."

MINING.

The question of the Warden's Court bein<* removed from Riverton either to Invcrcargill or Orepuki is one, as " Miner," in the Witness of January 5, says, is of the greatest importance to all miners in Southland and the Wallace County goldfields, and it is surprising that the mining community have quietly submitted bo long to the great inconvenience and expense they are now put to, more particularly those who may have claims to register from Preservation Inlet. It is high time steps were taken to remedy this matter, either by the miners, as a body, petitioning to the Minister for Mines, or the mining associations calling a meeting of all miners of these districts to protest against the present inconvenience, expense, and loss of time they are now put to by having to go to an out-of-the-way place like Riverton.

Invercargill is undoubtedly the place where a Warden's Court should be established, aa there is every facility at the Supreme Court Buildings for holding such a court, and it would be most accessible, both for the Preservation and Orepuki claims which require registration, als'" tor other mining business. The mining industry is now being rapidly developed, particularly dredging, around Southland, and where could we find a more convenient place than Invercargill for the due registration of mining properties? If steps are not taken by those in power without longer delay the present Government will find they are looked upon with anything but favour when the next election comes round.