SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES

Otago Witness, Issue 2812, 5 February 1908, Page 52

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES

(Fbom Otjb Own CosbespondentJ

INVEECABGILL, February 1. There is still very little business doing in the local oat market, though inquiries are now coining in from, the north asking merchants -to quote- for the new crop for " forward " delivery, but local merchants are not disposed to commit themselves in the meantime As far as can be gathered the best prices that could be obtained would be 2s 3d (b.0.b., s.i.), and this would run out to farmers at Is lOJd to 1b lid oil trucks at country stations. The general feeling seems to be that the new crop will open at about 2son trucks. Cutting should be fairly general in another fortnight, and towards the end of the month a fairly large quantity of new oats snouJd be oeffring on Che market. In the meantime merchants are only doing a hand-to-mouth business, the small stocks of old oats left in hand being sold to the north island at from 2s 3d to 2s 4d (f.0.b., s.i.). In sympathy with oats there- is nothing much doing in chaff, and it is er- etect that the new crop will be on the mai -~t in an-otherV-week or ten days, and already a considerable quantity of oats, a little" on. the green side, has been cut for chaff purposes. Merchants hold a fairly large quantity of old chaff, and are selling it to fill local requirements at £4, (ex stores). So far only i few samples of ryegrass have been offering, but sales should be general during the next week, as a considerable amount is being thrilled out of stook- this year. I understand tbat prices for what has been sold have ruled from 2s 6d to 2s 9d. The samples of seed forward, so far, are heavy and fairly free from weeds.

Practically none of the new wheat crop has yet been offerings though it ia understood lhat some crops axe ready. It is uncertain how this market -will open, but probably somewhere about 4s will be the ruling price. The business at present passing in the stock ■market is very small. Ewer axe in denumd, and -these have boen selling at from 17s to 225, according to age. Tdtmbfl. to put on rape, are still making 03s 6d to 12s 3d, but far this latter price they have to be specially good.

Fat sheep are very dull of sale, as freezing buyers are not operating. Fat lambs have not yet " opened," ■'but it is~ expected.'fnat {he market will rule somewhere about 14s.- -

Beef is still being quoted at 38b p6r lQOlbe. tut there is no change to repent since last -week. Good " forward conditioned "- bullock* are still in request at from £6 10s -to 0& -108. and younger cattle are inquired -for from. £2 10&- to £4

The first wool sale -was 'Held test Monday, and taken all ov»r Tallies were -w«ll xtp to brokers- exp«ctatie&& Thare was,*, decidedly txjtter demand for lone bright hoggrt wool than< was expected, and thia cdass sold extremely well. Other sort? sold on about a par with broker*' idteaa, but at th« sanw time buyers showed no keenness to ojwiaio, and a good' d*al -wa* "pasediir." It Ib, nowev'er, understood -that a. l*ra« anantitr has ainoe

been sold at " passed in " prices. The next ' sale takes place on February 11, and though there are still a good many clips to come in it is probable that wool held ovei from the first sale will total one-third of the entire offerings. The fibre market continues in the former depressed condition, no business of any consequence having taken place within the last week, and this unfortunate state of affairs seems to be discouraging both merchants and millers throughout both islands. Aucftlond merchants say that the market offers very little encouragement, and even if values show an improvement on present prices, there may be a difficulty in getting supplies to fill orders, and iliis state of affairs represents the condi- , tion into which things have fallen locally. Small parcels offered to London at last week's j rates have not found buyers, and millers are i in the unfortunate position of manufacturing J fibre without any " forward " sales. The out- I look is not at all promising, and there is no immediate prospect of an improvement. There are enormous stocks of Manila and sisal held in London, and this i 8 bound to restrict the demand for our products. A few inquiries have been made . locally for tow, but the prices are very much below last week's rates, and no business has resulted.

February 4. Although the oat crops are ripening fast a great many paddoeka in Southland, are not only thin, but very short in the straw — in some cases running from a few inches to a foot. Sere and there, however, there are some magnificent crops — notably on Mataura Island and rounei- Wyndhana-. Mr John Smith's crop at Wyndiiain, now in * stack, should*- run' at feast 80 bushels to th« acre, and-Mr Graham's »4 Mataura. Island considerably more. ~ Turnips in these districts are also looking splendid,, and there is sure to be an abundance of winter fe«d.

The annual resort and balance sheet of the -Southland Frozen Meat "Co. is a very satisfactory document, showing- * net profit of £3680, out of which the directors propose to pay a dividend of five per cent, amd a bonus ol one per cent, on both classes of shares.

At Wyndliam Town, ilall on Monday evening . last, Mr Andrew Wood, for many years past bandmaster of the local band, was entertained at s> farewell social and presented by tike band with a handsome marble clock, and by the townspeople with a valuable gold 1 medal.

Tha Berr. J. ML. Simpson, for the last six years minister of the Winton Presbyterian Church, leaves for his new charge at Waihi on Monday. The annual meeting of Southland members of the TT«iion*l Dairy Association waa h«ld in the Club Hotel on Friday evening, when there were present Mr Jamss Milne, president (in the chair), Mr J. B. Scott (secretary), -and Mi Singleton (Acting Dairy Commissioner), and nearly 30 representatives of suppliers and factories. A fish hatchery has been constructed by Mr Ayson. Chief Inspector of Fisheries, high up -the Waiau. for the recaption of half a million eggs of the land-locked salmon, which, are being obtained from Canada with a view to stocking the Waiau and*th© lakes and streams of the Fiords district

A deputation consisting of the Mayor and several councillors waited on Mr J. A. Hanan, MJ?., on Tuesday last to urge that the time had arrived when the Government should provide Invercorgill with, & more up-to-date railway station, the present station ~ being inadanuate and tbe/arraaigenients unsanitary. Mr Hanan said that . durma: the nine years he had been in the House he had done his best for the town, and several improvements in connection with the railways urged by him had been made, the total sum expended in the last six years having been over £27.000, so that Invexcsrgill had not fared badly. Certainly, th& present railway station was not up-to-date, but it was not the only old station in N«w Zealand, and they could not expect any special treatment. However, when money was available he would try to get a vote placed on the estimates, so that th« matter might not be overlooked. As the outcome of a meeting' held in ihe Sawmill Union rooms last week, a Political Labour League h*s been formed in Invercargill, and a meeting is to be- held on Tues-» day evening to elect offioe-beaiers. The chairman — Mr Neil — made the very sensible suggestion, that a Progressive Association should be formed distinct from P*rty politics to educate the electors by distributing literature, giving lectures, and encouraging debates. The Invexcargill Corporation's new 4$ per cent, debenture loan w»s- Jtendared for four and a-half times over,- premiums ranging from - £1 7s 6a to £& pet hundred, -being offered >by the successful applicants. Thia money is required for gasworks, £10.000; Corporation quarry, £4000; and Town Hall, £3000. v The financial statements submitted 1 at the annual Greeting of the Bluff Harbour Board last week showedr a considerable increase in receipt's, and also * very large increase In. exports, the greatest increases being in merchandise, timber, and frozen meat. Mr A. Bain, jwn., of .the Oamaru' Middle School, has been appointed first assistant in the Invercargill Soufih School in succession to Mr W. A. Armour, who is leaving for Dunedin to tak« a position in the Boys' High School there.

For some time past- ther-e has been an impression, abroad in Invercargill that Mhr W, B Scandrett in-tended to contest the Invercargill seat in Parliament with flic sitting member— Mr J. A. Hanan— at the election in December nert Mr Scandrett haa, however, definitely stated that he has no intention of opposing Mr Hanaaa. .but intends to again be a candidate for the mayoralty of Inver- ' cargifl. Mr James Holmes, tha veteran guard, was farewelled last week by the local railway staff ! at a banquet in the Railway Hotel, and presented with a gold albert and a pendant in recognition of his popularity during' his 33 years' service. Advantage was taken of the opportunity to make presentations also on behalf of the commercial travellers of Southbend and other admirers. _ The delegates, ertc, attenoing the annual meeting of the National Dairy Assoeia-tion journeyed to Bluff bo-day to witness the grading operations by- the Government exKeen interest was taken in the proceedings, and much valuable informartion was given by the graders in connection with the mamrfactai© and export of cßeese. During the day a meeting of the Dairy Association was held, at which Mr Singleton, Government giader, said that, generally speaking, the cheese was of good body, but there war a decided defect in flavour, which was caused by the inferior milk supplied, fie also stated that the cheese was shipped too preen, with the result that it went mouldy before reaoning its destination. -After hearing Mr Sinsrleton, -the association paased a resolution that no elieeae be sent ■from the factories for export under -ten days .old. A discussion.- then ensued as to tSe scarcity of labour in the dairying industry, which, members stated, was suffering with other agricultural and pastocat pursmte- fa_this respect, and it was Raided on the motion of M* John. Grahaitt, Mtttftura Island), to- ask the Farmen' Union io co-operat* with, iiernt in ur«ing on ihe Qov«rnxnieiit the necessity of obtaining pore skilled labour for agricultural and, dairy work. In moving- Ms motion Mir Graham

said these industries were languishing for want of skilled labour. Some farmers were having difficulty with their harvesting work. Some were giving up. dairying altogether for want of assistance, while others w-eie installing machines, though they did not consider 'them so satisfactory as hand milking. The cheesemakers present took advantage of the opportunity to hold a meeting for the purpose of discussing some matters of special interest to themselves. It was resolved that the secretary write to the Otago A., and P. Association with reference to -the cheese and butter competitions, and to request that in future there should be an additional class in both, sections, to be judged by three cheesemakers appointed by the association, so that all factories would be placed on the same footing and so give the smaller factories a chance of successfully competing against the larger ones. In view of the Government* s action in appointing dairy inspectors >■ with the object of raising the standard of milk supplied to factories. H was resolved to strongly recommend the department to enforce the use of the Lawrence Cooler.