SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES

Otago Witness, Issue 2661, 15 March 1905, Page 53

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES

(Fhoji Our Own Corhk^pondext.) INVERCARGILL, March 13. There has been practically no business done in oats here during the past week, either in buying or selling. Though there are still some oats left in Bluff stores, merchants are not inclined to reduce their prices so as to allow North Island markets to operate. Auckland merchants would no doubt still take some from Blufi if prices were reduced aboiit Id per bushel, but owing to very meagre offerings from the country and the large ideas farmers have as to the future of the market, merchants cannot get any stocks to work on. There has already been a little threshing out of stook done, and a few samples of new oats have been offering during the past few days, but holders will not let them go at anj thing under Is Gd, which is equivalent to Is 9Jd f.0.b., si. According to Canterbury reports these prices run about Jd to Id more than what new grain can be bought for in Christchurch. The Hawea loads at the Bluff during the present week, and will take about 4000 sacks. These are principally f.a.q., and should just about complete all sales made to Napier and Auckland. If the present weather continues, offerings of new grain should be pretty free within the next week ; but, of course, these oats will be threshed out of the stook, and unless merchants can make sales for immediate delivery, they are not likely to take them into store in any large quantity. The general opinion is that Southland grrin wants three weeks in stook before it is fit to put into Bluff stores for any lengthy period. Prices for farmers' can bs quoted at Is 4Jd to Is 5d for B grade, and Is 3Jd to Is 4d for C grade or f.a.q. It is not likely that the new season's grades will be fixed till early in April, as merchants like to see a fair quantity of stuff forwaid before deciding. The general opinion is that the grades will be a little higher than last year. ' There has been a very small offering of chaff from the country during the week, and prices are very firm. Really good quality is selling locally at £3 10s to £3 12s 6d, ex stores; while meVium quality can be quoted at about 5s to 7s 6d per ton less. Prices to farmers rule at from £2^ 17s 6d to £3 2s 6d, on the trucks at wayside stations, bags supplied by buyers. The offerings of ryegrass from the country have been small, and last week's rates are well maintained. There has been, & fair quantity of Italian about, but merchants are not at all inclined to stock up this class of seed, and on to-day's values perennial is bringing fully 3d per bushel more than is being offered

for Italian. There is still a good deal of private buying being done in the country by representatives from northern firms, who seem to be very keen to get hold of any very heavy lines of seed. The average price ruling on Saturday was 2s 4d to 2s 7d for perennial, and 2s 2d to 2s 6d for Italian, on the trucks at wayside stations. There is a very strong inquiry for linseed, but practically all old seed has been cleared out. There are some very nice crops round about Drummond, but these will not be ready for fully five weeks. Farmers who have these for sale are already reckoning on very high prices, and with the Indian crop reported a failure, no doubt their expectations will be fully realised. A few samples of this season's wheat have already been offered, but no business is reported. The prices asked are 3s Id to 3s 4d on trucks at country stations. The sheep market still continues very lively, and there is no appearance of prices going back. Good business has been done during the week, principally with northern buyers, a large number of lambs and young sheep having changed hands. The following can be regarded as present market values : — Store lambs 13s to 14s 6d, fat lambs 15s •6d to lGs 6d, young ewes (two and four-tooth) from 22s to 24s 6d, full-mouthed and broken from 15s 6.d to 18s 6d. There is a strong demand for butchers' sheep, and prices have been ruling from 18s &d to 20s, and as high as 21s 6d has been paid for a few lines of very nice wethers. The cattle market is still very dull, and very little business is going through. At last Invercargill sale prime fat bullocks were selling from £8 to £9 10s, medium sorts from .£5 10s to £B, fat cows and heifers from £5 to £6, fat calves up to 255. Store cattle are a perfect drug on the market. Two-year-old steers and heifers can be quoted from £2 10s to £3 10s, while well-grown steers are selling as high as £5. A few dairy cows have been selling from £i 10s to £G. On Tuesday evening a public meeting, called at the instance of the Bluff Harbour Board, was held in the Council Chambers for the purpose of urging on the Government the extension of the Waipahi-Heriot railway line onward from Edievale towards Roxburgh. The Mayor (Mr Scandrett) occupied the chair, and there was a splendid turnout of business men, indicating that the importance to Southland of this extension is appreciated. A resolution on the subject was moved by Mr Scandrett, and strongly supported by prominent gentCemen representing the Bluff Harbour Board, the Southland Railway League, and the business community generally. Besides the considerations set oiit in the resoltition, it was urged that the Edievale rovte was 11 miles shorter than that via Lawrence, and because of this, and the comparative absence of engineering difficulties, could reach Roxburgh years earlier. Many of the people of the district ■were in favour of the Edievale extension, and the leaning of Roxburgh people to the Lawrence line was due to powerful Dunedin influeuce, and it was suggested that a deputation from Invercargill should visit Roxburgh and emphasise the advantages of the Edievale route. As to y the question of whether a railway was needed at all, one speaker asserted that last yeaT hundreds of tons of fruit rotted on the ground for want of learns to take it to a market. Mr W. B. Scandrett has, in answer to v a requisition, intimated that he will be a candidate for a further term of office as mayor. Other candidates are mentioned, but I think that Mr Scandrett will have a walkover, and even if there is a contest, he is certain of an easy victory. Mr C. Broad (Broad, Small, and Co.), who is about to leave for a trip Home, had a most gratifying send-off the other day, when the business men of the town, many of whom have known him from boyhood, met him at the Club Hotel to bid him bon voyage. All the speakers made .most eulogistic reference, not only to Mr Broad's good qualities, but also to the wonderful success of the firm of which ho is a partner. Mr Broad was presented with a handsome gold locket for himself and a dressing case for Mrs Broad, and the hope was expressed that he and Mrs Broad would heartily enjoy their holiday, and return invigorated in mind and body. A harriers' club has been formed in con- ; nection with the Invercargill Ycmng Men't Bible Class Union, and already a good numbsr have joined. The Union Syllabus Committee is now compiling the syllabus for the coming winter, and have promises of several valuable papers and addresses. When the genial and popular Minister of Railways was performing the ceremony of opening the Railway Workshops the other day the flags on the railway buildings were halfmast high ! Mr Reginald M'Kinmon has resigned the position of president of the Invercargill Musical Union, and has been succeeded by Mr T. M. Macdonald. On Wedi esday afternoon the Invercargill Railway Workshops were formally opened by Sir J. G. Wa.id, Minister of Railways, a great many public and business men being present to do honour to the occasion, also the local M.H.R.'s, Messrs J. A. Hanan (In vercargiil) and J. C. Thomson (Wallace). In the crurse of his speech, the Minister of Railways showed the great increase that had taken place in the business of the Invercargill section in the last 10 years. The number of passengers carried had almost doubled, and not^thstanding reductions in fares, the revenue from that scarce had also doubled. The goods tiaJnc ha-i alFo shown a similar increase notwithstanding that thore also great concessions had' been made. The buildiva" of the workshop? had not been undertaken to please him or the people of Southland, but simply because the oiitlay was necessitated by the great increase in the rollinsj stock consequent on the progress of the district. The total cost of land, buildings, and plant was about £15,000. The p&mt was quite adequate to the present needs of tho district, and admitted of the employment of electricity later on, and he thought it not unieasonab'e to expect that in days to come the rivers of Southland might be availed of to provide this power. Referring to the increase in rolling stock during the past year, he showed that there had been 100 per cent, increase in both carriages and trucks, and the old complaint of shortage of trucks was no longer heard. Sir Joseph, after acknowledging the consistent support given him in thr ma.tter of getting the woakshops established by the different -members for the Southland constituencies, and especially by Mr Haiian, made an announcement of interest to every one who is in the habit of travelling on our railways — namely, that a system of numbering seats was about to be introduced so as to secure each passenger his or her seat for th whole passage. The other speakers were Mr Hanan, M.H.R., who hoped the time was not far distant when the colony would be able to supply its own railway material ; Mr Thomson, member for Wallace, and the Mayor (Mr Soandrett). On Wednesday morning a large and influential deputation waited on Sir Joseph Ward regarding the question of railway extend ?ion from the recently-opened Edievale section towards Roxbiirgh, and presented the resolution above referred to, and asked Sir Joseph to convey it to the Minister of Public Works, and support tho project.

f speakers— the Mayor (Mr Scandreit), Mr ', W. N. Stirling (Southland Railway League). Mr Edie (a representative 'ieviot setler). and Mr Horace Bastings — urged that the extension ! of the railway from Edievale mslead of from Lawrence would be in the interests of the I settlers themselves, in that it would open to I them both the Otago and Southland markets, and in the interests of the country, m that it was shorter, and very much less expense. Mr. Edie added that qvAe two-thuds of the people of the Teviot district favoured the route by Edievale. Sn Joseph said he would gladly I presen' the resolution, and they could depend , upon it that when the time came to decide on I the route the Government would choose the one which appeared to be most desirable in the interests of the country generally. The Minister of Pufc'ic Woiks had recently been over the country, and had no doubt formed 011 opinion, which he would communicate tc the Cabinet in <?i'e octirse, and the matter would then be fully considered. He recognised the zeal and public spirit of the Southland JKailway League, but thought that if. instead of advocating half a dozen railway extensions, they cennned themselves to one or two which might be agreed on as the most important, they would be more likely to succeed. On a moderate borrowing policy there could not be a great aeal available for each district, and it shou'd not be fritteied away on a number of railways, but all reasonable haste made to finish one at a time, and he thought the Seaward Bush and Orepuki-Waiau extensions as important as any. According to the Southern Standard the witnesses who tendered evidence before the Land Commission at Riversdale last week favoured the leasehold rather than the freehold. In this respect they may bo said to differ from the witnesses everywhere else. A new Roman Catholic Church has been erected at Otautau, and was formally opened last Sunday week, when a number of priests from other districts took part in the celebration. The Commissioner of Crown Lands sives notice that in future the Southland Land Board will meet on the fourth Thursday of each month. The hon. soc. of the Invercargill Bowling Tournament Committee informs me that ths entries for the Champion Rink Match now number 24, so that the event is quite certain to coma off. The tinie for entries has been extended to the 27?& inst., so that any clubs whose committees may have overlooked the early closing date may still be represented. As the whole of the "competing rinks will be playing in tha section games it will be impossible to accommodate with comfort more than 30 or at the most 32 rinks, and as the former number is the more suitable for the section play— five sections of six rinks each — it is proposed to limit entries to 30. The clubs represented so far are: — Dundin, Hoslyn. Kaiiuna, St. Kilda, Taieri, Milton, Balclutha, Stirling, Kaitangata, Lawrence. Gore, and the two from Invercargill. Entries are expected from Clinton, Caledonian, and Christchurch. and there is a possibility of a Wellington rink coming south. However, whether these clubs compete or not, the svent will now be certain — barring accidents — t-o come off. The Southland Club players have been playing off for the honour of representing ths club, seven rinks being engaged in the match ; but as the outside entries seem, likely to fail short of the required 30, it is most likely that five of these will compete whether successful in the club contest or not. The rink skipped* by James Laggat has so far been the most successful. His associates are J*. M'Natty, D. Thompson, and Robert Wesney. The socalled champion rink, which, after having been Felected as the "best possible team, all the others are very keen to put out, has not met with much success : but, although in a minority in two of the games which are unfinished, it has not actually lost a game yet. The rink comprises J. England, J. E. Taylor, •T. Rennie, and J. Porteous. The North End green is now in good playing condition, and the trophy matches aro nearly completed. Players are steadily practising for the Easter matches, and although they .lack the exnerience of most of the other competitors, they hope to make a creditable stand. Three rinks will compete in tho big match from this club. They will be skipped by J. Findlay, A. E. Smith, and J. Ham respectively. M"llwrick and Ham will be on the warpath together again. "Wandering Willie" lips not been on the Invercargill greens this season, but he is due at North End this week to begin "training." Mr A. Cross, the jSTorth End Selection Committee of one has gone to 'Fnsro to wind up the affairs of his lately-deceased brother. I understand that he comes in for a sum of about £6000.