SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES

Otago Witness, Issue 2714, 21 March 1906, Page 48

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES

♦■ (Pkom Our Own Cohkespondkst.) INVERCARGILL, March 17. There is no change to report in the local oat market, and as Canterbury fob. prices are about |d to a Id under what Southland merchants are quoting, it is supposed that any business that is being done is supplied by the Canterbury market. Some small lines are still being shipped to Western Australia at Is lid f.0.b., s.i., for B grade. The North Island seems to be completely closed at present so far as anything from the Blufi is concerned. There have been several inquiries from Sydney for A grade. But in these cases also the- business is supposed to have gone to Canterbury. Stocks at the Bluff are in very small comparison, and the bulk of them are held on account of farmers who, are not keen to sell at merchants' present values, which are Is 7d, on trucks at country stations, for B grade. Owing to the fine weather experienced during the past week cutting has gone ahead all over Southland, and there is already a good quantity in stook. There is no doubt that although- Southland will have a fairly good average yield, it will not, be quite up to last year's. If the present fine weather continues the bulk of the crop will be cut and in stook within the next 10 days or a fortnight, although there are some crops round the Wamo and Nightcaps districts which cannot possibly be in until early in April It is generally thought that prices will open on a par with what is ruling in Canterbury, and as Southland farmers reckon that anything over Is 6d is payable, no doubt many will sell immediately they have threshed. There is no difference in the chaff market, and prices remain at about £2 10s 93, on trucks at country stations, for prime quality, which price farmers are not inclined to accept. I understand that several lines have been sold, on trucks, at Edendale during the past fortnight at equivalent to £3 to Dunedm buyers. Wheat cutting is not yet general, but some paddocks have been cut in th» Dipton district. There a.r« some very fine crops of this cereal in Southland this year, and farmers are expecting prices to be at about equivalent to 33s 3d, on trucks at country stations. Potatoes are in good demand, and prices have been ruling at £8 10s to £1 during the week in Invercargill. There is a fair inquiry from Dunedm, and any lines that are at present coming forward are going to that market. Derwents will not be available in any quantity for at least another month. The sorts at present offering are chiefly Up-to-Dates and other early varieties. During the week there has been very little ryegrass on the market, and prices remain as quoted last week. Heavy 6eed, which is very scarce, is being much sought after, and prices run as high am 3s 3d, on trucks at country stations, for fairly clean seed weighing from 231b upward. Light seed, though not offering in any grea,t quantity, is not selling well, as merchants prefer to handle heavy seed when it is possible to get it. In sympathy with ryegrass, Italian has advanced, and tod^y several lines changed hands at 2s 6d, ou trucks at country stations. This was for really nice seed, weighing 211b to 221b to the bushel. There has been a fairly good demand for Italian during the week, though I understand that not a great eleal has changed hands. Fescue has been selling very freely at about 2d, on trucks at Mossbura, this being the district from which most of the fescue comes. There does not seem to be much of the seed about, but there is plenty demand, especially from the north, for heavy «eed. There is a good deal of la«t year's fescue to be had, but buyers are not inclined to operate in any but this season's seed. The stoci market is without change, though what sheep are offering are being readily placed at late values. There are not, however, a great many offerings, as neither buyers nor sellers a*re disposed to do much till it is seen how the turnip crops are going to pan out. There are not many northern buyers about at present^ but I understand that those who were operating a fortnight ago purchased a, fair quantity and railed them north. Young ewes ctwe-tootb) ai? in ms&i sUmaSs? %i f^gm

163 to 17s. Most of the business during the past week has been in this class of sheep. Fat lambs are still selling at 13s to 13s 6d, and a good many are at present going into the local works. Store lambs are selling at from 9s 6d to 10s 3d. In cattle only forward-conditioned sorts are selling, and these are fetching from £6 to £6 10s for steers, and about £1 less for speyed heifers. Any lines offering are readily placed at these prices. The reports of turnip crops have been more favourable of late, and, though they will not be up to the average, will not be so poor as was anticipated. March 19. A few weeks ago there appeared in the local papers a mysterious paragraph regarding the disappearance of a business man from Invercargill. The reference was to Mr Montague, an importer of saddlery, who committed an act of bankruptcy in leaving the colony without making provision for payment of certain debts. He was declared bankrupt by one of his creditors and stopped at Hobart whence Detective M'llveney is fetching him back. The oat crops in Southland are proving to be much better than was expected In some districts, it is true, some are thin and short m the straw, but, on the other hand there are some quite exceptional yields. One paddocK near Wyndham belonging to Mr John Smith is expected to go nearly 100 bushels to the acre. Some of the turnip ciops m the Eastern District are total failures, ia some cases the- crop being extremely backward, and in a few instances the turnips, although twice sown, have entirely failed. xM l Cla ?P. wll ° has been appointed to the Middle School, Invercargill, was, before leaving the District High School at Lumsden, presented with a. number of gifts from the ] local Cadat Corps and the School Committee I Tne Southland High School Cadets have I been under canvas in the Queen's Park for the last week. Constable Keaney, of Mataura, who was accidentally poisoned on Tuesday, was buried at the Eastern Cemetery, Invercargill on Thursday afternoon, when nearly all the members of the police force in Southland attended under Inspector Mitchell, to pay their last lespects to their popular comrade. • A young girl named Catherine Deegan died suddenly in the hospital on Wednesday after- j noon under circumstances which gave rise j to suspicion of poison. The evidence of the doctors does not, however, establish this conclusion, as they find themselves quite unable to say in the meantime what was the cause of death. The inquest was adjourned to admit of an analysis of the contents of the stomach. Mr C. A. Piper, who has been district traffic manager for Southland for the last four years, left on Friday for Dunedin, where he takes the position of traffic superintendent for the South Island. The chief clerk of the traffic manager's office (Mr M'Donald) will fill the position of traffic manager here till Mr Piper's successor arrives. The inspection and stamping of meat at tho Invercargill abattoirs is at present being \ery adversely criticised in the Town Council, several members having ascertained by surprise visits that the stamp is not locked up, and the meat is sometimes branded by unauthorised persons. Mr William Johnson, Thomson, Bridger, and Co.'s popular traveller, was last week piesented by the employees of the firm with a handsome clock on the eve of his wedding. At Otautau on Wednesday two men (Win. Kennedy and James Grant) were fined £3 and £2 respectively for catching trout in the Jacob's River with a net. The report of the Young Men's Bible Class Union mentions inter alia that Mr T. itf. Mac Donald, the president, was forming a library for the union, and that the first batch of books had arrived from Home. The ordinary income of the union last year was not sufficient to meet current expenses, and it. is proposed to raise extra revenue this year by a- course of entertainments and by securing a number of honorary members. The gradual fall in the price of sheep during the last six weeks has led to a reduction in prices by all the butchers, who are now advertising cheap mutton and the establishment of another butcher's shop. For a long time past Invercargill has not had a theatre or a hall suitable for large companies to perform in. Now that the Town Hall is nearing completion, application is being made for the municipal theatre, and there can be no doubt that a year hence Invercargill will be one of the recognised playing towns for companies of the first grade. At a recent meeting the Invexcargill Borough Council had an application from a. resident for permission to erect hoardings on the various reserves, the principal inducement to this move no doubt being the prospect of securing the display of the huge posters carried by travelling companies. Motor cais are becoming fairly common in Southland, quite a number of onr doctors, successful business people, and prosperous farmers having invested m them as vehicles of pleasure and convenience. Of business uses the most novel I have heard is the case of a gentleman at present toiiring Southland canvassing for orders for tombstones. Complaints are frequent of the inconsiderateness of drivers of cars and motor bikes, and the Southland County Council has been approached to see if it can bring into operation a by-law to abate the danger. The home-coming of Billy Stead, Southland's representative in the "All Blacks" football team, on Tuesday last was proof of the interest taken in that body's tour, as well as in 'his own career. Although a wet afternoon, the station and approaches were crowded, and a, hearty leception was given, him here, and it wae with difficulty th«t he could be brought to the carriage that was in waiting to convey him to the Rotunda, where the Mayor, Rugby officials, and piominent citizens were assembled, and a crowd of several hundreds in the square awaited his arrival. On his appearance there three hearty cheers were called for by the Mayor (Mr Scandrett), and heartily responded to by the crowd. In a. short speech of welcome, the Mayor referred to the interest the team had created at Home, how their doings were eagerly watched from the colony, and how the Southland representative had worthily upheld their prestige. Mr Stead ltplied in a lew well-choaen words. The team had gone away determined to do their very best, and had done so. The best of good feeling prevailed among the players. He thanked them for their appreciation,- and added that he would probably givo them details of the tour later on — no doubt referring to Wednesday night, when he will ba tendered' a social. On Tuesday night the team that represented the Xo. 2 Otago Battalion at Trent ham, and succeeded in winning the Colonial Ammunition Company's ma-teh, will be> tendered a social by their comrad.63 generally, and the trophy, a handsome- silver cup' valued at £70, will be formally handed to I/iexrtenant-colonel Henderson, the officer m command of the battalion, who "retains possession for 12 months. Shooting men are pleased with the team's success, and the success which individual Southland shots have attained, and the opportunity is not to be let go by without letting them know of it. It is to be hoped that this will only prove to be -the foreuunner of many similar. fuaction^ r_u^ that now ihsJ. .

it is recognised that Southland's shots can hold their own in the best company, shooting will receive a well-deserved impetus. The annual meeting of the Southland District of the Manchester Unity of Oddfellows was held in the Oddfellows' Hall on Wednesday, when the business usual at such meetings was considered. Tiie reports showed that tb-ero were 11 lodges in the district, and the increase of membership for the year amounted to 120. The Sick and Funeral Fund had increased by £851, and the Management Fund by £60. The total contributions to the Sick and Funeral Funci for tflie year amounted to .£IB7B, while £1525 Had been paid away for illness and £230 ia funeral allowances. Bro. James Walker was elected P.G.M. for the ensuing term, and Bro. A. M. Dawson. of Orepuki, D.P.G.M. Orepuki was chosen for the place of the next district meeting.