SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES (From Our Own Correspondent.) INVERCARGILL, August 4.

Otago Witness, Issue 2734, 8 August 1906, Page 47

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES (From Our Own Correspondent.) INVERCARGILL, August 4.

There is still no change to report in the local oat market. There is no business doing ■with outside maxkets, but the North Island is taking small quantities of inferior sorta at prices ranging from 2s Id to 2s 3d (f.0.b., sacks in). Theee oats are very weatberbea/ten, and wil! not go into any recognised giade. The North Island market for good oats seems to be practically closed, Auckland especially being very full up. A cheap"* freight to the latter m*rket is available, but even on a low basis merchants in the North Island will not buy straight out. It is understood that the Casablanca will take a fair quantity on consignment. The Australian market is doing very little. With the exception of odd lines of milling, which are going to Sydney, no business can be reported. For A grade 2s 5Jd (f 0.b., sacks in) has been obtained, but only for very small quantities. No business has resulted with Africa, though merchants have been doing their utmost to bring off a sale. Very few oats indeed are now offering from the country, but the odd lines that are coming forward are commanding 2s on trucks at coun-try stations for B grade, with Jd le*s for f .a q. Farmers are inquiring very freely for seed oats,- and merchants are supplying these at 2s 6d to 2s 9d (ex stores, Invercargili), with a shade more for specially dressed lines

Prime quality chaff is still in g-ccd d<?mai!cl at £3 on trucks at country stations. Inferior or indifferent stuff is very hard to plaoe.

Wheat seems to be on the upward grade, as more inquiries have been coming m from ■the North Island. Fowl wheat is now commanding 3s 3id to 3b 4d (f.o.b. sacKS in. Bluff). Prices to farmers run from 2s lOd io 2s lid. Milling quality is very scarce indeed and ouiy small lines have been bold lately a* price* equivalent to 3a 3d on trucks at country stations (bags extra) There if nothing doing in Lar'ey, ?ud linseed is veiy quiet. The latter is being quot«*l by merchants at £12 10e (f.o b., sacks in), and prices to farmer;, run about 5^ 9(1 to 69 on trucks at country etatiorcs

Potatoes can be said to be booming. pric«» advancing every day, and very few are offering Sales of Up-to-Dates have J>een made at £12 10b to £13 (fo.b.. Bluff), th««e prices being for prime need lines. Derwents for table purposes are selling at £11 to £11 5s (f.o b , Bluff). There is a decidedly healthy tone in the market, and the general opinion is that prices will not go back.

At the Winton stock sale last we-ek a lar?e entry of «heep was forthcoming, ciose on 6000 being sold. The c o were principally hoggeta, which made ratt'.mg good prices. Several large lines sold exceedingly well, the average price being from 15s to 17s, the lutter being paid for a really prime hue cf mixed sexes. Young ewes are also much sought after at 23s to 255. Full-mouthed ewes are fetching from 18s to 20*, and -doubtful mouthed from 14s to 16s. Fat sheep are. if anything, a shade easier, especially -wethers. Thou-rh there is- no drop in prices there is i ot tha same keenness to operate that has been noticed during the past few weeks, though one specially prime line of wethers fetched 225.

Cattle are on the up grade, and inquiries ar? coming in very freely for all classes. Forward-conditioned steers and heifers are selling at. from £5 10s to £6 10s *n<3 enpcial

lines of steers only have been placed at as high as £7 10s. Young cattle are also in much better request, two and three-year-olds being much sought after at from £3 10s to £5.

Flax has gone back somewhat, but £31 10s (f.0.b.) can still be got for good fair, and £29 10s for fair. A few mills are now resuming operations, but it will be quit* six weeks before work is general.

August 6. At Friday's meeting of she Southland Education Board the question of amalgamating (he Education Board and the High Schools Board was discussed, and it -was made clear that members generally were of opinion that primary and secondary education should be 'administered by one body. It is likely that a conference between members of the Southland High Schools Board of Governors and of the Southland Education Board will be held presently to devise some means of getting the sanction of Parliament to the proposed change.

Two" stacks of oaten sheaves at Kew, owned by Messrs D. B. Jones and Co.. butchers, and valued at £150, were destroyed by fire on Friday afternoon. The police have ascertained vhat a mischievous and somewhat halfwitted >outh in the neighbourhood set fire to them. The stacks were uninsured. — Southland Times

Mr J. D. M'Gruer, of thus town, and his wife and family leave early in October for a trip round the world, visiting Japan, Straits Sett'ementa, India, the Continent, Britain, and America. Mr M'lrruer will r.tso visit the West Indies. Mr F. W. Gresham and Mrs Gresham will be included in the party.

The butchers of Inverc*rgill notify tn allround increase in price owing to the- continued high charges for stock. On Wednesday afternoon the Mayor and councillors made an official visit to the new Town Hall, the contract time for which has expired. Everything is now well forward, and it is certain ' that the new theatre will be opened early m October. ■•

Mr Frank Hart, editor of the Mat aura Ensign, has heen appointed sub-e-ditor of the Christchurch Pr^ss. und leaves for the City of the Plains -n September.

At Friday's meeting of the Southland Education Boar.l the fo' lowing appointments were confirmed: — Mary M'C.tllum, head teacher, Te Tua; Isa H. Watson, sole teacher, Elderslie; Margaret 11. Adams, first assistant, Otautau, Harriet J. P'raser, sole teacher, Mararoa , Ella K. Talbot, temporary h.t., Feldwick ; Helen M'Ewan. ditto, Monteone ; Fanny W. Nickless, temporary first assistant, Balfour. Miss M'lndoe was recommended to the department as pewing mistress at Spar Bush.

Mr Brebner, who has been stationmaste-r at Invercargili for the past 12 years, and has been appointed traffic manager at Westport, was last ■cyeek, on the eve of his departure for his now position, presented by the local merchants with a valuable gold watch-chain and a sot •-•! sleeve-links, and by the officers of ihe Railway Department with a handsome Rotbcram *vriitc2i and gold eovexvign caee, Mr Brebner left for th<? "West Coast by Saturday's express.

As a fitting wind-up to their season, the local Association footballers aire arranging for a visit towards the close of this month, from the Northern Club's A team— this year's prelflicis. If the Southland representatives can get a few games together, the match should prove a good advertisement for the ''soccer" game, but without combined practice they have not the remote-st chance \agadnst a team with such perfect combination aa the Northern.

The vacancies in the Invercargili Borouprh Council caused by the retirement of Crs M'Donald and Irillicrap will not be filled without a contest. Already there are three candidates in the field — Mr Duncan il'Farlane, a former Major of the town; Mr F. G-. Stone, a former rouncillor; and Mr T. J. Lumsden.

About two years ago Mr William Todd, the well-known auctioneer of this town, acquired a mining lease of about 70 acres at Cuttle Cove, Preservation Last week Mr Todd had tho pleasure of receiving information from his mine manager that two valuable reefs had been struck carrying good gold. , Samples were forwarded, and if they may be taken a* an indication of the genera} character of the reef, Mr Todd's enterprise is hkery to be rewarded at last.

At the Magistrate's Court last week an Avenal storekeeper named Anderson was fined 208 and cost (13s) for supplying cigarettes to a bjy under 15. Mr M'Carthy intimated that in future charges of this nature would be severely dealt with. The local branch oi tbe Navy League has arranged with Mr Frank T. Bnllen to deliver his lecture, '"The Way they Have In the Navy, ' in the Zealandia Hall on the 14th inst.

3ir H. R Green, who has been «tationmaster at Nightcaps since that office was created, has been transferred to the traffic ■nspector's office at Invercargill, and is succeeded by Mr Webb, from Fairfax. At laet meeting of the Invercargili Borough Ornnci' Mi C. W* Wils,on was appointed to the position of manager of the abattoir. There wfc '26 applicants Mt C X Hannah, who has be*n a member of lle-tn Henderson and Batg.'r's Gore staff tor tlit p<^t <ev<u years ha* been appointed accountant at the Invcrcargill office.

The Ho^e Ca^ey ip now berthed at tbe luvereargsll wharf, having steamed up a! 11 o'clock on "Frid.iy me lit Too much ciedit for this refu't canno* be given to the managing partner (Mr (Jeo. Mackie) and the secretary (Mr C. 13. T.ih ey) of the coinpai.y, who. along with the crew of the htt'.e steamer, and assisted by a. shipwright ai.d tome sgwinii' hands from Stewrt'tt Ibland. were successful in their efforts to stop the leak temporarily The Rose Ca^oy went ashore on July 11, and) a d.iver wts at once obtained and icnt down to exanuu« her bottom from tbo outside, but he could -not do this satisfactorily, for she was settled in the hand. He then went down the insid-e and totind a hoe uuder the cn«incroom, ar,d patched this up. Tbe pump was f=et s;oins, but was unable to cone wiih the uirusb of water, so it was clear there v.-as another hola somewhere. The cargo was, discharged into hghier.s, and the two holds pumped cut at once and the steamer lifting, a sail whs passed under her. and she was taken higher up the beach. There it waa ascertained that thtfie i\ss a ragged tear e:»te-id-mg 16ft in length. To xtcp this wa« th«« difficulty, but dry cement v.as poured into the place, and it quickly set iv the water, paid made a very satisfactory patch. She was then pumped dry, the pump easily keeping the water in check. bteain was raised, and in five days from commencing these operations ste steamed up here, where she wll lie till it has been decided, whether complete repairs will be effected here a<t the Blufi or at Dunertin.

The Southland annual Championship Ploughing- Match was held last Wednesday on Mr King'a farm at iJranxhoha. It was a bp.endid paddock for the purpose, and the ground wa*iu gTcat ordei. The day was bnpht and sum.y, although the wind blew a trifle cold. The work done, on the whole, was of a high order, although the entries were ' not nearly ?o numerous a*> in past years. This falling eff in entries is not set down to lack of sympathy with the object, but farmers generally are not so far on with their plough- , me ac they would like, and consequently

every day is a day to them sow, and may mean more later on. The public turned up in force, the usual crowd being present. There was also jumping for hunters, and a high-jump contest. The championship went to Mr Malcolm Gray, whose work was of a very high order, for not only did he succeed in winning fqi general work, but got the prize for beat break, best finish, and straightest ploughing as well. His win was a popular one.

The football match arranged between a combined Eastern and Western District team and Invercargili was played here on Wednesday. The day was fine, and a good exhibition of football was expected on the showing of the country teams in previous matches against mixed teams from some of the clubs here. In fact, not a few thought the country might win; but, somehow, they did not strike the form expected, as will be seen by the scores against them — 24 to nil, — and they were clearly outclassed in all departments of the game. They had some fine individual players, but as a- piece of machinery they never seemed to get going together. These matches have done a lot oi good to football generally, and will give the game a bigger lift next year, When the benefits derived will, no doubt, be made the moat of.

At the Magistrate's Court this morning Mr S. E. M Carthy, S M., delivered judgment in the case Police versus Ai'Auliffe. -It will be remembered that Mrs M'AuiiflV, who lately resumed possession of the Shamrock Jiotel in Spey street, was charged with keeping within tie no-license area of Xnvercargill, (1) beer for" sale, (2) exposing beer for sale, <3) selling beer and whisky between the Ist and 16th days of July, 1906. The case lasted for a week, and caused a lot of interest, the courthouse being crowded each day thnt it waa on. His Worship found that the charge had been proved, and inflicted a fine of jESO, or one month's imprisonment, and the liquor to be confiscated. Court and other costs also amount to £10 9s.

Mrs Mulligan and Mrs Fox, two of the witnesses in the M'Au.iffe case, were charged with illegally dealing in liquor, and were convicted and discharged. F. Couits was also charged with failing to properly label liquor — a keg of beer that was coming into a no-license area,— but on Inspector Mitchell's application the case was withdrawn. Invercargili is well supplied with bands, there being four — namely, the Garrison, Municipal, 1.M.C.A., and Salvation Army. I hear the Garrison and Municipal have entered for the Christchurch contest. Both bands are working at the test selections. The V.M.C.A. .Band was started sonxe 14 months ago. The band has a full set of instruments, which they play creditably, considering the time they have been in existence. I hear that the Otago and Southland Brass Bahd A&sociation have decided not to accept the I.M.C.A. Band's entry for the Kiverton contest. The boys were looking forward to a good time, and are greatly disappointed.