SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2539, 12 November 1902, Page 48

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

I (From Ovn Own Co-respondent.) INVERCARGILL, November 10. The weather during the past week has been exceedingly unpleasant, on account of the nor'westers and the blinding dust storms which have prevailed. On Saturday the wind swung round to the west, and the rain came down \in sheets. Towards evening it changed to hail, which must have knocked a good deal of blossom off the fruit treej. During the week stock sales have been held at Wallacetown, Woodlands, Winton, and Thornbury. The principal feature of these sales has been the demand for store sheep of all descriptions. In spite of the unseason : able -weather, the grass is coming away in fa-vourably-situated localities, but the spurt ' is not general, and farmers must be buying from force of habit rather than because of any abundance of feed. Conservative farmers are accustomed to stock up before the' show or Christmas, and they appear to be doing so this year as usual, in spite of the scarcity of feed. The fall in the price of fat cattle hinted at in last -week^s notes was apparent in the values ruling at Wallacetown on Tuesday, but graziers and the trade seem to think that the relapse is only temporary, as supplies of prime beasts are so very scares, and everyone knows how unprofitable it is to kill green cattle. Fat sheep are also exceedingly scarce, but as the freezing works will soon be closing down for their annual overhaul, there will be a falling off in export purchases and a consequent fall in prices. At present, iiowever, they continue high, hoggets bringing Us to 12s. superior lines 12s 6d to 13s, and forward wethers 14s to 16s. It is rather early yet for shifting ewes with lambs at foot, and no indications of values can be given. With fine weather shearing would soon be general; indeed, th-'re were several line of shorn sheep forwarded to the sales above-mentioned. Oat-selling is just about finished, and farmers are now giving their attention to getting in their fodder crops. The little business that is passing in oats now is for Auckland, Sydney, and Melbourne, and a very little seed oats for South Africa. We shall soon be in the position of losing nothing of the sheep but the "Baa!" Quite a considerable trade has grown up during the year in kidneys, hearts, trotte-s, tongues, cheeks, and tripe, all properly cleaned and frozen. Our farmers have had a splendid year, and I understand that an unusually large number of them are going to the Christchurch Carnival to get rid. of s°me of their spare cash. It is to be hoped that what they s?e at the show will lead to a more generous support of our own A. and P. Society. The farmer membership is not anything like what it ought to be. Trout-fishing during tlio week has not been very good. Mr Friend got a few large fish in the Wikiwi, the two largest weighing about 15lb ; Mr M'Kcnzie was again pietty successful in the New River, and also got a haul of whitebait and shrimps; and Messrs M'AuliSe and Turner each got nix fish in the Aparima at Thornbury. jTrom the Orepuki Advocate I learn that the Waiau continues to give good yields, a party of Orepukians having had a very good day on it recently, Mr Duncan M'Farlane getting eight fish, heaviest 6*lb; Mr Andrew M'Farlane 7 fish, heaviest 7J!b; Mr Walker 5, Mr Weston 3 fish, largest 9lb ; Mr Brownridge 3; Mr Reichal 2, Mr Dawson 3, and Mr F. M. Wilson and friend 12. ' At laat meeting of the Mataura Presbytery, Rev. A. Gray, Presbyterian minister of Gore, who has to take a holiday on. account of nervous exhaustion, was granted three months' leave of absence. Mr George Scott, teller in the Bank of New Zealand, Gore, vas on Monday last presented by the staff of the bank with a valuable carriage clock on the occasion of his marriage. Mr Robert Dewar, for many years a public accountant at Gore, has been appointed town clerk in succession to Mr Brett, and Mr Cha3. i Ulingworth has been appointed town clerk of Arrow town. Mr A. J. Gibbs, of Gore, has been appointed handicapper to the Wairio Jockey Club. The Gore Caledonian Society begins the current year with a credit balance of £13 2s lid. It is stated that the very unsatisfactory position of the Bluff Band in the test selection at Mosgiel was due to the extinction of the electric light three times during their playing. The Invercargill Musical Union gave its last concert of the season in the Theatre Royal on Monday evening to a very large audience. The performers — vocalists and instrumentalists — numbered well on for 100, and made a fine body of sound in the choruses, the male voices at times, however, being rather too loud and rough. The most important item of the evening wa« the cantata "Tha Erl King's Daughter," and the soloists were Mrs Blue (the Erl King's Daughter), Mrs Forbes Williams (Sir Oluf's mother), and Mr E. B. M'Kay (Oluf), all of whom acquitted themselves well. The second part of the t oncer t consisted of the madrigal, "Sweet honey-sucking bses, the glee, "There is beauty on the mountains," and part songs "Absence," '"On -i hill," and Pinsuti's "Good-night," uua3^oni:>amed and beautifully rendered. The orchestra g:ne a most artistic and enjoyable rendering of "Herodiode," and Mr F. J. Lillicrap piovtd himself a master of the clarinet in an accompanied solo. The other performers were Mi&s Bastings, who made her debut in "In tweet Sep*3mber, a song which Bhowed her to be the poosesaor of a full and very pure soprano voice, and remarkably clear enunciation ; and Mr A. Thompson, whose silvery tenor was admirably suited to do justice to his song, "The spring has come." The union has now Handel's "Messiah" in preparation, the first practice, on Fuday evening, being attended by 80 or 90 singers. The performance will be given on December 15. At last meeting of the Bluff Harbour Board the matter of an answer to the New Zealand Shipping Company in connection with the alleged grounding of the Whakatane was discussed. Some time ago the company wrote requesting that the board's pilots should be instructed to take out the company's steamers by the south channel. A committee of the "board appointed to consider the matter recommended that a rep]y should be sent to the effect that the board was satisfied that the steamer did not touch bottom, and that as the pilots were the responsiblo officers, the course to be adopted in each case should be left to them. ilr Dnnlop, in speaking against the adoption of this recommendation, pointed out that the master of a boat was not freed from his responsibilities through taking a pilot on board, and could at any time supersede him. He appealed to the board to meet the company in a friendly spirit, as, if they were drivon to instruct their masters not to use the north channel, it would create a bad impression against the _ port. Other speakers strongly opposed giving the pilots specific instructions, and thereby hampering them, and the recommendation was adopted. I Cactain J. W. Baxmojad, who Jua been Mg-

veyor for the New Zealand Underwriters' Association at Bluff for the past 12 years, has retired on account of eld age. His recollections of Hew Zealand waters go back to 1850, when he passed through Fovsaux Strait in command of the barque Sir Harry Smith, -^r About 40 men are now engaged in preparing the site for the Invercargill Railway Workshops, and work will soon be begun on the new gaol. This will to soms small extent offset the loss to the town occasioned by the removal of so many of the Southland Engineering and Implement Company's men to Christchurch. At last meeting of the Southland Education Board, it was resolved, on the recommendation of the inspectors, that the examinations for scholarships shall begin on Wednesday, December 17. Mr J. D. M'Gruer has been elected as representative for North Ward in the Borough Council without opposition. Lieutenant C. Todd has been elected captain of the Southland Mounted Rifles. Mr D. Miieod, of "Winton, has' been appointed to succeed Mr J. C. Robinson as Wyndham agent of the Stock Department. Mr J. W. Wilkin, who has been chief postmaster continuously here for the last 26 years, has been appointed chief postmaster at Auckland, in place of Mr Biss, recently deceased. I understand that Mr Wilkin was offered the position of chief postmaster at Wellington on Mr Hoggard's death, but declined it. Mr 'lapping, for many years postmaster at Bluff, is mentioned as Mr Wilkin' 8 successor. Mr Wukie, who left the local Defence Office tv go to South Africa with the Ninth Cont^geut, and returned with the rank of lieu tenant, has been reappointed to '-.is old position, and takes tip his duties this week. During the week the mayor and councillors have had a trip to what, to most of them, must have been a terra incognita. Down near the New River Heads on the Otatara side is a considerable stretch of country, which was regarded 40 years ago as first-class agricultural and grazing country, but which, when it was vested in the Borough Council as a recreation -reserve in 1889 had been transformed through the burrowing of rabbits and the action of the wind, into a dreary waste o>f sand. With a view to preventing further drift, marram grass was planted, and the object of the excursion was to ascertain how far the experiment Sad been a success, and also to see whether the cutting of flax within the reserve might safely be permitted. The party found the grass making satisfactory progress, aud besides spending a most enjoyable day obtained a knowledge of the value of the reserve which will put them into a position to deal with the question of releasing when the present term expires. The First Church congregation held its anniversary meeting on Tuesday evening, when the usual reports were submitted, and showed the church to be just about stationery in regard to members and income. The principal receipts were: collection, £327, seat rents £227, Sustentation Fund £274, special collections £246, Building Fund £90. After the business meeting the rest of the evening was given up to a musical programme, a lecture on "Some Glimpses of Scotland and Scottish Life in the Eighteenth Century," by Rev. J. Gibb, of Dunedin, and of couise the indispensable tea and cake. While the Re?. Gihson Smith was lecturing in the Theatre Royal in reply to Mr TJeegan, the lecturer and the audience were a good deal pjKuoyed by the interruptions of an individual in the gallery. He was, after some time run out by a policeman, and charged before the S.M. on Friday with disturbing the meeting. Mr Smith admitted that a number of the interjections were relevant to the points at issue, but he objected to the continual annoyance of ill-timed interjections. Hia Worship said it was almost impossible to give an absolute definition of disturbance— it could only be determined by looking at the circumstances in a reasonable and coinmonsense way. In reading Hansard it would be fottcd that speeches of members were .frequently interrupted in a similai manner to Jhat experienced by .Mr Smith, and no one thought of bringing the matter before the Speaker. The3e interjections must be expected and put up with in a political meeting. But, on the other hand, it must be remembered that the central figure of the meeting was the speaker, and if interruptions interfered with the circumstances of the speech, then a disturbance was caused. The evidence in the case before the court would not justify a conviction for disturbing the meeting, but he would not say that there was no disturbance. The charge against accused was dismissed. Another large estate is about to be broken up, MessTs Wright, Stephenson, and Co. having <=o"'d OastleTock estate to a syndicate, who intend .o at once cut it up into moderate-sized agricultural and grazing farms. As the estat! consists of over 50,Q0C acres, it should provide homes for quits a 1 number of settlers. The live stock, consisting of 30,000 sheep, 700 head of cattle, and 70 draught and harness horses, are aleo for sale. On Thursday evening the members of the Charitable Aid Board, and of the contributing bodies, with their wives and representatives of the press, had an opportunity of inspecting the Lome Farm Home. The home, with its outbuildings, covers about two acres on a 94-acre block at the junction of the Makarewa and Wallacetown roads. Most of the ground has been broken up, and a large portion of it has already been converted into garden, in which all kinds of vegetables are in a ver> forward state, and the many fruit trees give promise of an abundant harvest. Five cows are being milked, and the institution can boast of a fine lot of pigs and some hundred'? of fowls and ducks. A plentiful supply of water is obtained from a well 60ft deep, situated in the outbuildings, where there is an oil engine and a dynamo, which work the pump, generate the electricity for lighting, and are expected later on to work a chaffcutter and a sawbench. Owing to the plenitude of water everything is kept beautifully clean, even the pig sty, which is floored with cement, being regularly hosed out. The provision against fire seems fairly adequate, as the er.gine can he started instantly, and the jet of water, -which reaches the Toof, can be directed from each side of the building. If any deficiency exists it is rather in the volume of water thai' \n the pressure. Inside everything is beautifully clean, the corridors, dormitoriea, dining rooms, and sitting rooms being spotless. The old men's quarters, dining room, sitting, room, and dormitory are on the north side, the master's apartments and the various offices in the centre, and the children's quarters on the south side. The dormitories are high, well-ventilated, clean, and comfortable. The floor :s almost entirely covered with a good linoleum, and alongside each bed is a full-length strip of carpet. The bedsteads havt spring mattresses, good bedclothing, and a thick, warm rug, and alongside each bed is a chest for the occupant's belongirige. The sitting loom is equally comfortable, ■well lighted, and ventilated, and- the old men sitting at the long tables playing ca^£» or draughts, or quietly reading or chatting by the fires, appeared to be thoroughly at home. The farm, inside and out, provides suitable occupation for all, so that time need not hang heavily on their hands, and they may have the satisfaction of knowing that they are contributing to the eupport of tha institution, -which to most of them musi be indeed a. haven of rest. The children are equally well cared for, and one could not but be struck by the confidence and affecf ion shown by the boya an<2 girls to the master and matron, Mr and Mrs Cusworth. As they gathered round the organ in their hall and sang "The swsst by-and-bye" jtztd fitkex hymns \o Hk £u£K2£tk's grflOTinMu>

I meni on the organ many of the mothers, aye, I and the fathers .too, among the listeners must have felt devoutly thankful that we live in an SLgk and in a country where these waifs, robbed of their parents by death of desertion, are not allowed to become pariahs, but are thus provided for, and drilled into such habits as are likely to make them respectable and useful citizens. Here, as in the men's quarters, one cannot fail to be struck -with the scrupulous cleanliness of the children's surroundings and of their persons.