SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES

Otago Witness, Issue 2817, 11 March 1908, Page 52

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES

(Feom Oub Own Cobbkctondent.) - ; INVEfRCARGILL, March 7. The oat market may now be said to be properly opened, as during the week a good number of samples have been, offering, and in most cases have been sold at from Is lid to 2s on trucks at country stations. The samples are very bright in colour, and fully up to last year's A grade in qtsality. Meronajst»,are anxious to cover sales whioh they made for forward delivery some little time back, but the general opinion seems to be that as soon as these sales are covered, unless some outside demand comes along, the market will go back. In many oases farmers will sell at the present prices rather than take the risk of holding. The oats bought so far have been threshed out of stook, and *Te in splendid condition. The bulk of the crop is now out, though a, fairly large proportion is still standing in stook. The market for the new season's ohaff has opened at £3 to £3 6s on trucks at country stations, but at these prices merchants are not at all keen to buy, Hie fact being that they have still fairly large stocks of last year's crop on hand, which they are retailing at SA to SA 5s (ex stores). Ryegrass has taken a decided move during the week, and prices have advanced fully 3d to 3d per bushel. Several large lines have l»en sold at from 3s to 3s Bd, and it is reported that for an extra special lot ""jkHy over the latter price has been paid. There is etill a good deal of seed coming in from the country, and buyers have been tounne •the district during the week picking up all available lines. The sheep market is in a very muon more lieaithy state, and prices have advanced during the week. At Winton sale laat Thursday there was * fairly large entry, and practicilly everything sold. There was a strong demand for lambs, and prices went up to 18s 6d for good rape lambs. Young ewes are in strong request, prices - ruling from 18s to 225. Wethers for fattening have go* a Ktfle better, and prices now rule from 16s 6d to 17s. There is nothing doing m fat lambs as owners' ideas are still above wnat freeiing buyers are prepared to pay. Butcner B wethers are making from 17s to 19s, the latter price being obtainable only fox extra ( prime lambs. ... t «•* j. '■ Beef can be quoted on the basis of Ks to 225. Best bullocks, from £1 10s to £9; good forward-conditioned bullocks, from S& to £6; and younger cattle, from £% 10s to M. The turnip crop is looking exceedingly well, and on all hands farmers are greatly P* 6 * B64 . with the appearance of their winter feed. There ■can bo no -3c«J>* lt«.t So^thl^d lias this year turnips equal to any previous season. The early feed is also standing very well, and there is any amount of rape and early turnips. No doubt this has caused the sharp rise that has .taken place in lambs. As far as can be gathered, the t»t-l»mb market has not improved a great deal, though they are making 14s 6d to. 16s; extra heavy lines, 16s 6d, but for the latter price lambs would want to be fully 40lb. There is no improvement in the fibre market during the week; in fact, if any- ; thing, prices have eased a little, and fair ; grade fibre oan now be quoted at £21 f.o.b. (London inquiries have been very few, and information received by local merchants indicate that there ai« sellers in London at £24 10s c.i.f.,- which would be about equivalent to £31 f.o.b. This is sot at all a healthy sign, and seems to indicate that ■JTorth Island merchants must be ridding ithemselves of this season's manufacture at 4 considerable loss, t can hear of no Southland merchants who have nmde sales extending beyond April deliveries, and it seems to be the general opinion that the end of April will see the termination of the flaxanilling season this year. Millers realise j &»t they cannot manufacture at current t prices, and it ia unlikely that they are going to run the mills at a loss. Tow is suffering j in the depression, and London cables ; indicate that J9 to £9 10s c.i.f. is the maxi- . arum price obtainable. March 9. I Invercargill people are not satisfied with , ane rate at which the Government are build- ' ing the Orepuki-Waiau railway, and at a meeting of business men held in the Muni- | cipal Offices on Friday evening a resolution , vpas passsd to the effect that an urgent | request should be made to the \finiater of ' Public Works to complete the four miles which have been formed from Wiihoaka I westward, art ft committee was set up to j urge the matter an the attention of the fciinister. The members for Parliament for inveroargill and Wallace also promised, to do what they could to expedite matters. The Southland Education Board has decided to ask the Minister of Education to establish a hign'sobool at Gore. I A man named Wiig had the misfortune ! to be caught on a shaft at the Bluff Freeiing Works on Thursday, and had an arm broken . and. other injuries through the mishap. j Both - Inveroargill ana Bluff have been • Somewhat unfortunate in the weather for regattas of late yean, bfct the weather on Wednesday afternoon last, though not perfect,- was moderate enough to admit of all ,tlie rowing events being got off. There was a large attendance, but the wind, which was from the. south-east, was rather cold. The great events of the day were the Interprovinclal Fours, won by Southland, and the Senior •Fours, won by Poxt Chalmers. This latter was a somewhat sensational event, one of the Southland orew losing roost of the blade of his oar through striking on a sandbank xthen not more than halfway, Notwithstanding this, the Southland men hung on to the kj-fiuMirs till nearly home, and beat the Otago . of«w for second place. The in-terprovincisl | Mcc was keenly contested all the way, but the Southland crew pulled a steadier *nd zn4rce powerful stroke and seemed to win with ease. The ease, however, was more apparent than real, as members of the win- ' x)lng crew testify. The biggest field of the i o»y turned out for the Mkiden Fours, won vj Port Chalmers. For this there were seven ) starters, and a good race resulted. The Rev. Deati Burke, who has just re- ' turned from an extended holiday trip -in Britain and the Continent, gave an account of his travels In the Victoria, Hal} on Thursday evening last to ♦ moderate audience. The lecture was % most interesting one, the •peaker having a fund of information about Ceylon, ' Suez, Italy, France, Germany, and Ireland. <Phe Southland Hoitcultural Society's chow, held in ti» Zealand** Hall on Wednesday and Thursday, was v»ry ppoxfy attended, particularly on Ttartofe? xught^vhen J***^ (jnTafl 4 great deal of wongnt ana '**'» oji tttidienoes. had much to do with the poor attendances. Mr S R Merrett, who <Kecf at Christchurch, on Sunday Jt> 3 t as the result of a xttotor *ccid«ni, was a former well-known Jesidsnii t>£ Tnvercargill. A sreat a^al o f suburban Jane! i» being put on the market m Inveroargill it prssssV A l*rg» part ot O-atara «v i-^/»~n*,iy a<ff>-,Ktea ,

T>y « "Wellington syndicate, and some of it ' put on the market, and now large blooks at North Invercargill, East road, and Oteramika rood are being advertised. There is still a demand for suburban sections, but such an over-supply as is offering at present is likely to cause a glut. A young man named William Mathieson, lately employed as a carter by Messrs Broad. Small, and Co., committed suicide in the Estuary by throwing himself off the Otatars. tram bridge, probably early on Monday morninglast. ■ The Hospital Saturday scheme is going ahead. The list of stations has been arranged and allotted to lady collectors. The Southland Dot's Little Folk are taking a hand, and the various country districts are being arranged for. A meeting was held last week with regard to the making of an embankment road across the Estuary to Qtatara, and a committee was formed to interview the Inveroargill Borough Council as to how to go about the matter. At Tuesday's meeting of the Southland Presbytery ihe Rev. T. Tait, of Nightcaps, resigned his charge on the score of continued ill-health, his doctor having recommended him to take a year's complete rest. Mr Tait has never fully recovered from the injuries caused by a fall from hie horse about two years ago. Keen regret was expressed both by the congregation and the Presbytery. At the mum meeting the Rev. Mr Carter resigned the Oteraznika onarge. The long-existing dispute about the ownership of the hall at Limehills was settled on Monday last. The matter was brought before Mr Justice Williams, and considerable cvi- , dence heard; but at his Honor's suggestion the parties met, and it was decided that the hall belongs to the Good Templars, the trustees holding it in trust for them; the lodge to have control and management, to fix ' charges, and appoint a trustee, and if the ; lodge ceases to exist any local Good Templars ' lodge to be formed in the future to have the j same rights as the present one. | In order to secure increased capitation, it is intended this year to extend the terms of the Invercargill Technical Classes to 12 nights , instead of 10 as formerly, and it is intended to have an elocution class for all-comers, and training classes in a number of subjects for teachers. Mr I. W. Raymond resigned from the Southland Education Board at its last meeting, and, as in the case of Mr Raymond's resignation from the Bluff Harbour Beard, there was an expression of keen regret at his departure for England and appreciation of his active and intelligent services for the j public weal. ' At Friday's meeting of the Southland Education Board the following appointments H'Kay (sol© teacher) ; Oraki, Patience T. Purvis (sole teacher) ; Waikouro, Jessie B. 'Miller (sole teacher); Pahiwa, household school, Pearl Andrews (sole teacher); Manapouri, household school, Alice Lloyd (sole teacher) ; Kennington, Mary Baird (mistress) ; Waianiwa, Mary L. Baird (mistress) ; Waihopai, Hugh M'Chesney (temporary third assistant); Winton, Fanny M. Osborne (tern- ' porary special assistant) ; firydone, Clarissa M. Daplyn (temporary mistress); Gore, Vyvienne Gowdy (pupil teacher, third, year) ; Waihopai, Hannah Webb (pupil teacher, third year); Waimumu, Janet M. M'Leod (temporary sole teacher).