SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2607, 2 March 1904, Page 44

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

(Fkom Oxm Owir Cobbb«pondent.)

USTVERCAEGIKL, February 29. Splendid harvesting weather continues. Most of the oat crop in Southland has now been cut and' stocked, a- very- large quantity stacked 1 , and a little threshed from the stock. Farmers have made the most of their opportunity, ana the moonlight nights have been filled with work, so neat stacks dot the landscape everywhere. A few samples of new season's oats were off&red in town on Saturday, and there is a better tone in the local market. It is rather soon to g-et an idea of what the bulk of the ciop is going to be like, but some people have the impression, that the yields in, many quarters will be none too- heavy, and' the oats may not- be too well filled. It will be a, fortnight or three weeks yet before any reliable opinion regarding the whole distiict can be formed. The market for new oats, is likely to open at Is 2id to Is 3d on trucks at country stations, according to the distance from port. There is a little demand from the Noith Island, which one would' have expected to be filled fiom Canterbury, as their cats have all been harvested and threshing in full swing for the last three weeks; but the farmers in the north seem to be inclined to hold for higher rates than those now offering. The past week's exports weie 1670 sacks for London by the trrcbralema, -409 sacks by t3ie Moeraki, and 805 for Auckland, by the Ha.wea. The Surrey, mentioned last week as loading at Bluff for South Africa, left yesterday, via Timaru and Wellington, with 11,000 sacks. There is now a growing impression among both farmers and merchants that oats Rare not going to rule quite so low as had: previously been anticipated, and it would be a very good thing for all handa if prices could be got up to md maintained at Is fed at sidings. Anything below this does not leave much of a working margin to those whose toil for the year is concentrated m their oat crops. Very low prices may suit the operations of speculators, but the merchants who are regular buyers year in and year out prefer to see good payable rates given to the farmers, knowing that it will come back to themselves in some othei form. Fortunately this year has been such a very £,ood one that oonie of the difficulties experienced in handling last year's crop are not likely to occur, and all markets should be open to us if prices ia.re right. Stocks at the Buff are now m very small compass, and should be entirely cleared d-uring March. I understand that the stsecial treatment of oats which has been carried on in tho stores at Bluff for some month? past has been very successful, aoid shipments of this class of grain have given entire satisfaction, arriving at their destinations in first-class condition. Babbits are said to be very plentiful all over the district — more so than for many yeais — and if prices were only satisfactory trappers wculd make heavy cheques. Unfortunately advices from. Home don't warrant the hope that prices will be up to the level of last year. Last season was, I am assured, an extremely bad one for exporters. A friend who ought to know tells me that sever? 1 of the largest operators had to CEirry over very large quantities which they could not sell. No new wheat has been marketed here, conseouently no indication of price has been given by" millers, b.it with the price advancing in London and the good rates ruling in America, wheat growers are -hoping to get good prices when they are ready to sell. The local ryegrass market has advanced fully 2d per bushel in consequence of a very strong demand from ihe north. The general impression seems tc, be that this will not continue, but that values will go back again slightly. The prices paid during the week ran from Is 6d up to Is lid according to quality for fanners' dressed. Buyers t.re cYsaupointed with the weight of the seed this year. With such fine, dry weather it was anticipated that the seed

would ba heavy, running 251 bio 261b freni the mill, and even a little more, but it does not go more than 231b to 2ilb, and a large number of samples only go 211b to 221b. lliis being so, prices must De regarded as very satisfactory, and with anything like a decent yield per acie these rates will pay very well. The turnip crops in several parts- of the district are not doing too well, andl some of ihe later-sown -crops that have not had any ram are wilting up. If the oats were all in stack, now, a heavy two-days. 1 downpour would be hailed with universal thankfulness-, especially by tlhose farmers' who expect to winter theii' stock on turnip 9. Eain fell all night, and promises to last. It will do a- lot of good. There is very little doing in lamb -freezing at the local works. There does not appear to be a great many lambs ready yet, and farmers who have them, ready for sale are not showing any disposition to sell. lam told that it is impossible to make amy sales to London just now, as buyers there don't care to place any orders- in, the colony, ancl as the ic.i.f. buyers last year were hit rather hard, they are going ta be pretty careful this year. One or two operators are, 'however, buying quietly at 12s 1 to 12s> 6& on the farm, and as- prime Canterbury lambs are bringing 13s to 13s 6-J, it appears that our farmers are getting very full values for th.eirs. Many think present prices cannot be maintained, but as> Southland is understocked, and the demamd from those who have plenty of feed is good, I think the price for all classes of sheep will keep up. A good many lines of store sheep are changing hands, ewes being in great request. It would ba well for our breeders to retain all the ewe lambs, and so put Southland into a better position as an exporting centre. The constant drain on stores by noithern Vnyers an<3' export of ewe lambs frozen has greatly depleted our flocks. There aare a good many farm properties for sale in Southland at present, but everyone seems to be holding off tor Edendale. The dearth of labour to which I refeired last week does not appear to be felt onJy on farms and 'stations, but also- at the sawmills. I am told that quite a, number of sawmills are hampered for this reason, and one has had to stop. The men, as they arrived from the otheip side, are absorbed by the flaxmiills, which continue to increase in number. Mr A. Bain has been' re-elected chairman of the Bluff Harbour Board. Mr Thomas Green, of Gore, at present chairman of the Sottthland County Council, was also proposed, but declined to stand. Mn J. E. Watson has been, granted 10 months' leave of absence from the Bluff Harbour Board. During his visit to the Home Country it is expected that Mrs Watson, who accompanies him, will christen the board's new dredge. The name is to be Murihiku (farthest south). , The Southland Brass Bands Contest, to be held towards the clo3e of the year, shotild attract a large number of competitors, r.s the i prizes offered are remarkably good. The prizes S for the test elections have been fixed at £150 for the first, ±70 for the second. £4Q for the ! third, and £20 for the fourth; and for the quickstep at £30, £20, and £10. The Invercargill Horticultural Society's i show, heldi on Wednesday and Thursday, was a great succes-s as regards the quality of the exhibits, the long spell of magnificent weather which we'have h?.d the good fortune to enjoy having been, most favour-able to the growth of perfect blooms. Mr W. Samson was the principal prize-taker in the open class of pot plants. Messrs Edginton Bros, made a, fine show of roses, and Messrs Lennie and Sons of dahlias. In asters, Lannie_ and Sons and Edginton Bros, divided the honoiirs. The grocers' picnic, held at Greenhills last Wedn-esday, was a most enjoyable affair. All the grocers' shops were closed all day, and' thus a lairge attendance of employers and employees and their friends was secured. The rivero throughout Southland are at present lower than they hava been, this season,_and j very little successful fishing .has been done. I Captain Hughes, D.5.0., paid a visit to the j Mimihau on Monday last, and got 10 nice fish, j averaging over lJlb each,, and, returning on Tuesday, gob ai small basket of six. Te Waewae Bay must be alive with good trout, as large quantities continue to be taken in, the nets ; of the fishermen operating: oft the Orepuki ■ Beach. i The Axemen's Carnival Committee have had . to make an alteration in theii programme. The \ sawing contest between representatives of the I great rival firms of Simonds and Atkins has I been taken off, and) a World's Sawing- ChaanI pionship, open, to all comers, substituted, with I a first prizo of £15 and two gold medals, and ! a second prize of £5. At the first axemen's I carnival held here two years ago Fisher and i Hudson, using Simonds' saws, beat Pettitt- and Goold, using saws of Atkins's make. Last year the tables were- turned, Pettitt and Fisher, with Atkins's saws, beating local men using the saws of the opposition firm. This year Mr Paape, the secretary of the carnival, had arranged with Messrs Simonds to find two men to represent them against the- world, the firm. i finding 200dol towards their expenses. The I men have been in training for some time, and I considerable expense is entailed in this, and I now Messrs Simonds have withdrawn their offer and undertaken to pay all expenses. Mr Paape has sent them an account for £30. At last meeting of the Wallace County Council the clerk reported that he had issued 60 | summonses against ratepayers in arrear, and I was getting ready anothei batch. The Winton Record says that a r. umber of paradise- dricks havei taken tip their abode in the Loi'ft Gorge — the first seen, there for 10 j The same paper reports, that the Invercargill | Dairy Factory Company has offered to sell its [ creameries throughojt Southland to the supi pliers, and s- meeting is to be held in Winton ! to consider the matter. j The Wyndham Horticultural and Industrial I show, held last Wednesday and Thursday, was I very largely attended, the takings for the two j days totalling £42. The> show w?s the best ever seen in Wyndiham, both in point of number and excellence of the exhibits. The housewife exhibits were particularly good. Both the Zsalandia Hall and the goods sheds were occupied, I and wero lit with acetylene. j The Mataura. Ensign states that the yearly i rentals of the sections into which the Edendnle ! estate has be?n cut range horn Is 3d to 15s [ per acre. | At a special meeting of the Southland County i Council, held on Wednesday last to consider I the noxious weeds qviesUou, Cr 11' Queen said that it is a financial and physical impossibility | to eradicate ragwort, ard it would be ruinous | to take fanners off harvesting operations to cut it down. It was decided to endeavour to get the Stock Department to bring a friendly sui-j against the council, so that its positio.i may ba clearly defined. | Some remaiks made by Mr James Thomsor, of Half moon B?y. at the bs.-.ouet recently \e,.- | dered there to the Governor. apo°ar to be about ,to bear fruit. Speaking about the development 1 of th? island's resources, ilr Thomson regretted j that capitalists hsd not inteiest^d themselves m the opening out of tha tm lodes mstc-ul ct leaving it to the ineffective efforts of poor local men. About this time Messrs Dfnnis and Clarke, representing wealthy Aastialians, wsre looking into some mining interests in Auckland province. Theii attention was drawn to Mr Thomson's remarks; they went over to the island themselves and oxornmed the stream tin, and reported favourably to their principals, v/itb the result that a syndicate, in which a wealthy Oanterbuiy gentleman holds an interest, has baen formed to develop the lode, and practical tin. miners will soon be put to work

on it. The syndicate is prepared! to spend £1000 in proving the property. If they are fully satisfied, and a company is formed, the present holders of the property will get onefifth of the shares fully paid up. It is now fully sixteen years since Mr Thomson first turned his attention to tin and gold mining at Pegasu3. He first ssnt Mr George Swam round to prospect, 'and the next yea* established a party there. Gold-digging has gene on continuously ever since, some of those engaged in it having done very well indlsed. The best of the gold is- now supposed to have been got, but good wages can still be rrnade. The tan has been worked very intermittently. A good many years ago it was boomed, and a fair amount of money extracted from the pockets of Dunedin and Invercaargill speculators, but the lode was never developed. Mr Thomson has several times sent shipments of stream tin to London, which realised up to £89 a ton, a price which pays handsomely. One shipment sent by Mr Thomson andi M.T George Praser totalled about three tons. When the syndicate which had) secured the lease of the lode country allowed it to lapse, "Mr Thomson took it up, and for many years has paid rent in the hope that its worth might eventually be proved. That hope appears now to have a good chance of being realised. As an outcome of Mr "Wyatt's visit to Invercaigill it is pioposed to form, a branch of .the jSTavy Lepgue here. Following are the I. E.G. crews for the N.Z. championship regatta on M?rch 23 at Waihola: Ma.-den Four— F. Traill, D. Campbell, S. Berndstcn, W Earle; Junior Four — T. Brown, W. Thomson, J. Willett, J. M. Adam; Champion Four — B. C. Basstiau, D. Morton, J. Christophers, H. Fleming, Youths- Four— T. C. Ellis, M'Kay, E. Traill, A. Traill; Maiden ScuHs — B. ToSct, T. Thornton; Junior Paais — T. Brown, W. Thomson; Maiden Pairs— F. Trsull, D. Campbell. There is likely to be a keen contest fox the mayoralty of Invercargill this year. Mr It. B. M'Kav has announced himself, and, Messrs J. Stead, J. C. Smith, and' W. X Scandrett are expected to stand. Mr Longuet was asked to do so, but declined. The following Invercargill candidates have passed the junior civil service examination. — Hannah Jamieson, John Cray, Violet Jamiesen, Maggie La + ham, Robert Jennings, Jane Millar, Margueretta Douglas, William. Wallace, Charles* Wilson, Alexander Swap, Jessie Mackay, Ralph Selby, Margaret Herdmaa, George Murray. Mr M. Giifcdder, ex-M.H.R. for Wallace, has been admitted a solicitor of the Supreme Court, and has commenced the practice of his profession here. Captain Thomas Brodrick, one of our oldest identities, died at his residence, Wadkiwi, on Thursday nic-rning, at the age of 85. The representatives of the Northend Bowling Club who made the trip to Gore on Wednesday had a very pleasant day's play. The ma-teh was for the N.Z. Association's pennant, and resulted in a win for the country players by a majority of 16 points. The game was a very closely-con tested one up to the 18th end, when the scores were even, 71 points each ; but in the remaining three ends Gore adtted 23 points, while the lnvercargillites could only manage 7, thus leaving the former winners by 94 to 73 Three time 3 during the ga*ne the scores were level: 11th head, 42 all; 16th head, 62 all ; and 18th head, 71 all. Only one team, of the visitors managed to notch a win, that being the rink skipped by W. Wesney, who was successful against W. P. Craig by 3 points. Ham had to confess defeat to T. Lock, who w&s in rare fettle, diawing to the jack with the same unerring precision that characterised his play in the Dunedin. tourney. A. E. Smith started- badly 'n his match ji gainst Patersoii, and, the local players went away with a strong lead; but Smith is never more diaiigercus than when he has a bit of an overdraft to wipe outy and had he been blessed with just a trifle of luck he might have pulled the match out of the fire; as it was he got within 3 points of his opponent ar the call of time. A great game was witnessed between M'llwrick and D. Hoiuies. The former maintained a fair lead right up to the finish, but lost il on the lr.st h^ad, Holmes just getting home by 1 point, putting on 7 points for the last three heads. The play on the whole frra& good on each side, the hemotirs among the leading players, however, remaining with the two K'orthenders — Stout, leading for M'llwrick, and Harper, second player for A. E. Smith. These two played consistently well right through the game, and were constantly applauded by their respective rink mates. The Gore players shewed their usual hospitality, and the Invercargillites left for home thoroughly pleased with their visit. Ihe gieen was in. capital cider. The Gore Club intends sending four rinks to the Easter tournament at Invercargill ; the Northend Club will put in five, or perhaps six; while the Southland Clvib may be depended on to provide seven ; so that; without counting visitors north of Gore, there will be about 17 rinks entered. Local players, however, are looking for a recoid entry this time, as a laige number of northern players have expressed their intention of being present for the crcasion. The 2<Torthend gieen is just now paying very well, while that of the Southland! Ciu'b is just about as good as it well can be.