' SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.:

Otago Witness, Issue 2436, 21 November 1900, Page 35

' SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.:

• - ' {Faon 6ms Owu 'Cokrespondent.) INTEROARGILL, November 19.. Weyhave had another week -of broken, .unsettled "weather, and very little growth -has taken place, , during the past fortnight in • either .crops or ,-pasture. Nevertheless, -there is abundance of feed' for stock, which everywhere is'looking well. ..At Birchwood station .shearing commenced some two days ago, but the very broken weather 'has delayed operations -considerably, .and upwards of 40 fine shorn hogets, .1 .regret to report, died from the effects- ot cold and wet on Tuesday -night. At tha Otautau stock sales on Friday 'there •was not a -great quantity of stock yarded, "but ■what was brought forward met with ready •sale at 'even an advance on late quotations. The Hon. J. ,G. Ward -arrived here by exjaress on Saturday afternoon, and. was accorded a reception which must have somewhat surprised, and I-am sure highly pleased, him. Being a Saturday, there were a large -number of country people in town, and literally thousands wended their way to the railway .station to meet him. As it would 'have blocked the traffic ,to have kept 'him there, a move was anade to 'the rotunda, where a few - words of welcome were fittingly spoken by -the mayor, and 'then a -speech looked for from Mr Ward, which he^gpve in one of Itis 'happiest'strains. --He assured them that though lie often got public .receptions, and dften very warm 'ones, in other parts of the colony, there •was none so dear -to- him as those. he received " sn,"Southland,, "Southland, -which, though no.t for the time 'Being .his/place of residence, he always looked iipon a3 home, • He referred feelingly to the -dmdiig 'the intervaLsinee-his last "visit •of Mr Andrew Duniop, Mr Aaron Blaekne; and Mr'F. GL Morgan, the latter one of the most 'trusted and respected of our public officer*:. He was sometimes twitted when away -north abou&'his attachment to -the provincial district of Southland, but he always felt that a district so rich in resources/fertile, fruitful, with 'its salubrious climate, would xaiss jip another generation with such physique and mental powers that they would be able to carry on the work and jmblic affairs of the colony when the-- old ones had passed away, .with credit to themselves and those who had preceded them. During the coming week he would settle the site of ,the new railway workshops, , and though perhaps he , might have to quietly, politely, -courteously, . . and' -possibly ■regretfuij.v. put -aside many of the numerous sites which had been suggested to hini-^-and there was -really nearly ofte for - every -public 'corner -in 'Invercargill, — he ' had no ''doubt in the end %c 'would -succeed' in pleasing them 'dll. The expansion ~>i the railway traffic had been such that the workshops -at .all '-the large .places required extension, .and it would be an advantage to-the'de-partment over which he had the honour lo be -the "head 'that complete and well'equipped should 'be established in Invercar--fcill. '• At the 'celebration over -the birth of a' liew nation shortly to take-place in New South * "Wales, .New Zealand was tp be -represented "by her and the Invercargill _ Pipe Band, . which, he .was -sure, wduld creditably "uphold '.the -reputation of .this colony, which possessed "the .mo3t friendly 'feelings and ■een--timents towards -the sister -colonies. He and ■'other members of 'Parliament present had -just returned 'from-a 'heavy session's duties, at which much hard' work had been done, r but all rthe .newspapers of 'the colony -were making .so , much money with the general prosperity - of ihe country that they seemed to have little ' space or inclination .to , criticise -their public' •*"»». or Dublio works. Ti-esently, for a penny

I they would he ,abl« to wake up their representatives in Parliament if they thought they were not doing their duty, or "for the same amount they could write a letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer in London. In appointing him the first Minister of Public Health, he thought an appropriate choice had been made, for he was in perfect health, and in that respect a good example to the public. The prosperity of the colony was never so evident as at the .present time. . There were 20° millions now lying on deposit at the various banks and similar institutions of the colony, which, considering .our population, gave us the highest percentage of savings for any country in the world. There is special activity in the timber trade, of Southland just now. It has always been an important and extensive industry in this district, exceeding, t so far as 'the railway traffic shows, so JNir Whitcombe, the railway traffic manager tells me, 'that of the grain traffic, over his division of the railways. For the right to cut "timber only off 200 acres of land (not 'for the freehold) Messrs M'Oallum and .iCo. paid the Crown a little while ago £510. This, too, is on brolren, hilly country about four miles • from a railway station. Yet in some of the State.'s perpetual lease settlements in bush country occupants live in mortal terror of j having""theii residences' forfeited Tf they do not destroy 'by 'clearing and burning so much ' of their bush land each year. On Wednesday, at Wyndham, before Mr M'Carfchy, S M-. ,- Charles Arnett, a halfcaste, well known at GEliverton, Bluff, and Mataura, I will be charged with attempted murder of Milne and two- other rabbiters- on -the Edendale estate v by* 'plnciug 1 poison- in the sugar ' used by them. "' There" will also he a charge of theft against 'Arnett." 'The" circumstantial evidence against* him is, I am told, very complete. v - * 'The Government ' are* inviting tenders (on behalf of the War'^Office)^ for the supply of 5000 tons, equaj.to.^bout 7.0_,000 sacks, of oats. ; I 'understand th.c associated, merchants of In- ; vercargill are putting, in a, tender, which they, hope will be accepted. , The pats have all to fbe passed by the Government grader, and■have to be ready for leaving the colony 'by ', ■the 20th 'of next month, and tagged in 801b sacks. The ' merchants here say they have sufficient in store tp execute the order should : it come this w.ay, .without buying any more , from farmers.- : Most of the glairy factories are giving 3Jd for milk this summer, accounts paid monthly. > This is surely, -a' fine- .paying price for the farmer. - > Mr Kenneth • M'lvor, an old Southlander, ■ who at .one lime owned "Victoria Park, "Waikiwi, died at Zeehan on. the 10th inst, l -aged 74 years. . The Orepuki Roman Catholic Choir gave a sacred concert in the church on "Sunday -even- j ing to a fair congregation. The extremely inclement weather unfortunately prevented a i large, attendance. The sacred -pieces were well rendered, "the choir acqiiittirig "themselves most creditably. " The volunteer spirit, says a correspondent, is very- *at Orepuki, and a new corps is in courseK)f formation. It is expected that, the 'full strength "of the company will be reached' in - the 'course -of a- few days, and the swearing-in* of' "the "new corps- -will then take place. ** "' " * His Excdllerfcy- t'Tie Governor has been 'moving unofficially and quietly about the Western ■ district of Southland since last Thursday."He has'beennobody's guest "in particular, -but makes liis Iheactquarters a comfortablyeqtiipped railway 'sleeping .asid dining car. attached -to which is his cook's pantry and kitchen, etc. This is drawn from place to place by 'the engine of "the ordinary passenger trains. At Nightcaps he was given a champagne supper by 'the Nightcaps Coal Company, and shown over their extensive coalfields next morning. At Orepuki heiiispected the ,shale and 'oil works, and lunched with j Mr Durilop, the company's manager, after, which he drove to the Waiau and hacl some troul-fishinjr. '.This was on Saturday after^ noon. The Western Star, published that> morning, says "he landed three fine trout. At all the .places he has stopped to visit-he has won golden opinions 'from the populace, who are greatly pleased with the absence of pomp and fuss iri Iliie style of travel. At Otautau, Wairio, and -other places he was interviewed in the most commonplace, yet respectful, manner by various .people, -who had come from the same part of the Emerald 'Isle as himself, -and had either known him or some of 'his ancestors there, which they deemeel quite sufficient grounds 'for a self-introduction to his Excellency, who .chatted kindly and apparently interestedly with his interviewers about bygone times and events. 3S!ews 'has, just come to hand that the express from Dunedin will not arrive until late to-night, owing ,to the flooded state .of the r-ailway-Jine about -the -Taieri. .The. .Melbourne steamer, too, we hear, will be a day late at the "Bluff, owing to the heavy rains - in Dnnedin stqpjping shipping operations today. Here ws ,have had .no rain to-day, and looked upon .the. weather as clearing up.