SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2402, 15 March 1900, Page 39

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

(From Otte Own Correspondent.)

INVERCARGILL, March 13.- '' Bai a snap of cold weather, accompanied by a southerly gale, on Thursday night last and Friday morning, we have had fairly good weather for this season ( of the year. The crops • are ripening fast, and reaping is now going on apace in all directions, with good indications of boiintiful yields. During last week I. made a trip to Dunedin and "back, and noted that the crops on the Taieri Plain are no further forward than •they are in the Western District of Southland. The turnip crop north of Clinton is poor, and late in comparison to this district, and I also notice_d that the crops of grain on the Tokomadrifo Plain are not* anything like as good as they were the first lew years aftei the application of lime as a fertiliser, and I was wonderiug whether the heavy liming has not discounted the future fertility of the soil. The Government financial year closes on the 31st of this month, and we at this end of New - Zealand aie interestedly and anxiously looking for the reforms our new Minister for Railways promised to' give effect to after the close of the financial year. I am sure there is scarcely a man,. woman, or child, in the country who coiild not give him heaps of suggestions. The Minister has a very difficult task, indeed, before him, and a few mistakes will be far more readily pardoned by the long-suffering public than that he should let matters rest as, at piesent, bocaiise officialdom cannot see its way to make, the necessary reforms. The general public are rapidly arriving at a revolutionary xritch regarding their demands for effective and thorough changes in the management of our Nrsilway service, the present state, of aSairs being such a ridiculous contrast to our advanced liberal administration in many other departments. Nothing can now, for' this- season, save the poor faimer from worry and vexation of spirit over the difficulties he will experience in obtaining trucks to carry his grain to market, or railway shed accommodation for the unloading of it into while awaiting trucks. If one of the outcomes of so much inconvenience and monetary loss, both to producer and consumer, as the present state of affairs must surely entail results in an agitation which would bring about the establishment of railway workshops at this end of the island, say, at or near Invereargill, where rolling plant, etc., could be sent for repairs, instead of being hauled all the way to Hillside or Addington, as at present, it would be some compensation to our district — Invercargill " in particular. In the North Island, where there are only 824 miles of working railways, they have railway workshops in three different centres, while in the South Island, where there are 2104 miles of working railway, they have only workshops and repairing plant at two places viz., Hillside, near Dunedin, and Addington, near Christclrurch. Another plant near Invereargill, therefore, looks only reasonable and just t Surely the -present would be a very opportune time for Southland's M.H.R.'s and the residents of Invercargill to agitate for the establishment of such a valuable addition to our industries. It would give employment to a greater number of hands than the oft-suggested woollen factory would probably do, and provide an additional opening foi our boys to enter an educational and profitable work near home. In our local papers the Invercargill Borough Council, in their capacity ab the local Board of Health, intimate to householders, shopkeepers, and those in charge of all j*Tnds of premises that they must prevent the accumulation of rubbish, refuse, and all suchlike matter or the pains and penalties of the law will promptly be put into operation. The question of a universal raid against rats and mice is to be considered at thp next sitting of the council. At a meeting of the Bluff Harbour Board yesterday, steps were initiated for the' destruction of rats about the wharves, and preventing them coming off the 3hips in the port.

■ I referred a fortnight ago to the flourishing financial sear, ending December 31, the above board had had. Their harbourmaster's report, placed before members yesterday, shows the shipping returns for January were : Vessels anward, 17 of 26,588 tons; outwaid, -16 of 84,730 tons, showing an increase of 135.1 and 4121 tons resjeectivelj; compared with last y.ear^

and, for February, inward, 17 vessels of 24,795 tons; outward,- 18 vessels of 27,278 tons, increases over corresponding month of last year of 585 and 6671 tons respectively. The tug's earnings for January were £194 2s, and the expenditure £76 2s Bd. The ordinary revenue for January amounted to £1242 18s, compared with £812 2s lid for the corresponding period of last year.

Twenty-five young men, forming the Southland section of the South African reserve force (better known as the fifth contingent), left here by yesterday's express for Tahuna Park. There was al large turn-out of town and country friends to bid them farewell. They were a good lot of young fellows — no better have preceded them — nearly all sons of old and highly respected identities — none of the larrikin element about them — and seemed duly impressed with the grave responsibilites they were assuming. Appropriate farewell addresses both to the young men and those they were leaving behind them were" delivered by Captain Hawkins, the Mayor (Mr Goldie), and Mr Hanann, M.H.R., jxist before leaving. There will be a very big exodtis from Invercargill to Dunedin tcj witness the embarkation of the contingents at Port Clialnfers on the 24th. In some cases I know of whole families have declared their intention of being present.

The Invercargill Abattoir inspector's report to the borough council shows that ditring the fortnight ending 3rd inst., 122 cattle, 713 sheep, 12 pigs, and 4 calves were slaughtered at the abattoir, and of this number two cattle and three sheep were condemned as unfit for Iranian consumption. Judging from the number of rabbit purchasing agents one meets about the country just now, bunny nrust be going to have a bad time of it this winter. Looking up some export returns the other day,l note there were shipped at the Bluff 112,000 crates rabbits in 1898 and 120,000 crates in 1899. Five pence halfpenny, and in some cases sixpence, per pair is now being paid to trappers. A meeting to consider the rabbit question was held in Taylor's Hall, 'Wyndliam, on Saturday evening. Mr I. W. Raymond (convener) occupied the chair, and there, was a fairly good attendance of farmers. The chairman stated the object for which the meeting had been convened, and read several arbitrary clauses in the act, which, he considered, should be amended to .meet the altered conditions now existing. On the motion "of Messrs Doull and Milne, a committee of 13 was appointed to draw up resolutions to be presented and discussed at a future meeting. The committee meets at Mr Raymond's office on Wednesday, the 14th inst., at 8 p.m. Mr and Mrs Raymond, of Wyndharn, leave on a visit to England early in April. There is a good deal of feeling in Gore over municipal matters, and particularly as to drainage works in East Gore. - The Mayor (Mr Ballintinc) went there the other day on inspection bent, and cc' man named W. Robertson called out, jokingly, as he said in court — " Put Ballintine in that hole. ' Under the circumstances the court found that the words were -insulting and humiliating, and fined defendant ss, with costs 23s 6d.