SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2561, 15 April 1903, Page 44

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

(From Our Own CoitßEsroxDEXT.)

INYERCARGILL, April 13.

The weather for the Easter holidays has been splendid, and the trains to ai;d from Invercargill have been loaded. A great many of our people, and also numbers from other places, have gone to Stewart Island, and shooting and fishing parties ure scattered all over the district. The oat crops are so late this year that farmers cannot afford to share 111 the hohdpymaking, and the sound oi the reaper is heard everywhere, and here and there loading operations are the order of the day.

There are plenty of outings for the holidays. Both our footballers and our cricketers are disporting themselves at Queenstown, and the bov/lera are having quite a carnival.

Mr DA. Raymond was entertained by the people of the Wyiidham district on Tuesday e\enmg on the occasion of his relinquishing charge of tho Wyndham branch of the business of I. W. Raymond and Co. to 30111 his brother at the film's head office in Lnvercargill. The afis.ir was largely attended, and Mr Raymond was presented with » handsome gold watch and chain in recognition of his many good qualities and his services to the district.

The Sixth Contingent Reunion Council hid splendid weather for their reunion at Wmton on Friday, and were patronised by quite a number of townspeople, as well as s> fair number from the township and the surrounding districts, though many whe would otherwise have been present were kept at home by ths need of making the most of the sunshine for harvesting operations. A large number of returned troopers were present, and a mo=t enjoyable day was spent. The events were not so well contested as could have been wished, but a fair clay's sport was presented. In the Balaclava Melee the Tetuxned troopers were beaten by the S.M.R., but more than equalised matters by beating' both No. 2 knd No. 1 teams of the redoubtable Bluff Guards in th lug-of-War. The Rescue Race was won easily by Sergeant Gerrard. Tbo day's proceedings were appropriately closed with a social at Ashley's Hall in' the evening.

At last meeting of the Southland Presbytery it was agreed to purchase r site at North Icvercargill for a church. The call from Waimatuka to the Rev. R. H. Catherwcod was sustained, and the induction arranged for the 22nd inst.

I mentioned in last week's notes a fine imposed on a suburban resident for allowing ragwort to grow on his section at Wyndham. The other day Mr M'Carthy imposed a fine of 10s on a farmer for allowing Canadian thistles to grow on his land. The molion proposed by Mr Thomas Green — " That ragwort be included in the list of noxious weeds" — was carried in the Southland County Council on Thursday by five votes to four.

It is rumoured here that the Government intend to retire from the Lake "Wakatipu steamer service, and forfeit their purchase deposit of £15i.

Our local parliamentarians — the Hon. H. Baldey, M.L.C., and Messrs J. A. Hfnan and J. C. Thomson, M.H.E.'s— take part in the parliamentary picnic among the islands of the Sunny Seas.

Our technical classes begin work for the winter on Monday next, 20th mst. Foi most of the classes (he teacher" are the same as la-st year. Mr "Wyllie, of Wmton, will take the singing.

Mr James Evans, who served his articles with Messrs Macalister Bros., has been admitted to partnership, and left town od Wednesday for Queenbtown, where he opens a branch of the firm's business.

The milk suppliers to the Underwood Milk Factory made a departure last Monday evening, when they presented Mr H. V. "Wells, tho manager of the factory, with a purse of sovereigns as a token of esteem.

The Farmers' Union, the Education Board, and the Hjgh School Board are, I understand, joining forces io provide instruction in agricultural chemistry foi farmers and their sons. It is probable that the teachers -will be Mr Paterson (organising secretary of the Farmers' Union) and Mi Hilgendorf (science master of the local H ; gh School).

Mr James Strang, of Esk street, was last Monday presented with a handsome marble clock by his club mates of the Appleby Cricket Club as a marriage present. Before leaving for Sydney to he married, Captain Saunders, of the Wallace Mounted Rifles, was presented by his officers and men with a splendidily-mounted travelling bag. Miss Agnes Pratt, at present teaching in the Invercargill South School, has been selected for the position of third mistress in the Napier District School.