SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2914, 19 January 1910, Page 56

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) I INVERCARGILL, January 15. There is nothing doing in the local ,oat market, and there is no likelihood of any business passing till the new crop is available. With another fortnight’s fine weather cutting should be under way in the early portion of the Southland districts, and many of the crops should he in stack by the middle to the end of February. Nominal prices at. present (there being only a few small orders for local requirements) rule at Is 5-id to Is 6d on trucks at country stations. The chaff market is very depressed, amt best quality is not worth more than £2 5s on trucks at country stations. The cutting of ryegrass has started, and should become general over most of Southland during the next week or 10 days. The crop is looking exceedingly well, the seed being both clean and heavy. It is doubtful so far bow prices will rule, but no douot fair values will bo obtained, as stocks in local merchants’ hands are exceedingly light, and prices will probably exceed the opening price of last season. There is practically nothing doing in the stock market, farmers being busy finishing off their shearing and getting their turnips in. Even with the very dry winds wo have been haying feed is plentiful, and there is not much chance of any number of sheep offering for some little fame. Farmers arc inquiring as to the (prospects of lambs, and the general feeling seems to be that 10s 6d to 11s will be the opening rate for fats, and no doubt the best stores will go from 8s to 9s. Beef is ouoted at last week's rates —22s 6d per ICOib. All classes of young cattle are still sought after, but very little business has been passing, holders having an abundance of feed and not being keen to sell. The fibre market has been very quiet during the past week, and I do not know of any actual business being closed. Inquiries coming forward indicate that although there is not much demand at the moment, prices show no indication of receding, and the outlook is just as promising as at. last report. The itrjprovement, in the Manila market, has had the effect of “ firming ” prices for the New Zealand product, and it appears likely that our product will gain in value as time goes on. The large English manufacturers, who some time ago adjusted their machinery to suit New Zealand fibre, have been supporting us all along, and the results obtained by them seem to have established our fibre very favourably in their manufactures. Notwithstanding the fact that several big American houses have been reshipping Manila, to London, price® there ' seem to ' be maintained at remunerative * rates, and owing to the exceptional demand ' throughout the world for ropes and binder i twines, the prospects for both Manila. _ and | our own fibre are fairlv bright. Tow is in i constant demand, and merchants find a ■great deal of difficulty in filling orders for this article. Several New Zealand houses have been endeavouring to buy in . Southland for this month’s shipment, but so far as 1 can learn there is practically no tow offering in the .meantime. This, . no doubt, may be attributed to the fact . that, millers are devoting their time more ! oxickisiveb - to thje production of fibre, j leaving the tow in the sheds till later in ' the season. j January 17. The amalgamation of Invercargill with I the four surrounding boroughs of Avenal, Gladstone. North Invercargill, and East Invercargill has now been completed. The Governor’s proclamation ended the existence of the separate boroughs, and brought Greater Invercargill into being at midnight on Monday last, and on , Tuesday evening the first meeting of the [ united borough was held, and thereafter ! the occasion was celebrated by a supper provided in the Victoria Hall by the Mayor, Mr Longnet. The first meeting of the united borough was attended by i the Mayor and forty-six councillors. The j town clerks of the joined boroughs were also in attendance, a® well as a number of interested 'spectators. The council decided to work under the standing orders and rules of the previously existing Borough of Invercargill, adopted the seal of the Invercargill Council, and'appointed the Bank of New Zealand its bankers. There was a large attendance at the supper, and though some of the speeches were rather long, a very pleasant evening was spent. In addition to the Mayor and councillors, there were present Mr J. A. Hanan, M.P.; Mr W. Macalister, presi-

dent of the Greater Invercargill Association, and the following members of its Executive: Messrs .). Watson, A. Hawke, T. Fleming, W. 15. Heandrett, -I A Mitchell, -I Findlay, I*. K. Bi-udm, -I. F. I.illierap, I!. N Todd, Walker, A. A. I 'mi p-e, He- e.eerel a i y (Mr 1.1 „ „ I er), ami I Im loun d.-rk (Mr 1. W. U’-ilki-r) .\!i A. Smith, m an a get ol Uie Hank of New Zealand., and Mr -I ' doab.V Nil„I 11 were also pH-se.d Messrs H. A A „der;-;oi., S M'ltmiald, J. A lan and I! .( Gil toil, apologies. d be Mayor (Mr l.oiigilrl), afl-e. apologising or I, lie, aie-en.e ol I be Prime Minute, Who sent I it I I ...lit, « j I << >IJ •> i it t, 11 1 it 1. ! ( > ■ J ,-idled' Oil Ml VV Mil' Mister lo propose 1 be. toast of (be e-.e1.111g tbal, <d l.lm 1',,,1ed li.o olijrb, a last, w Ill'll Mr Maeab, ter did toil j i ns I 11 e to In tin- conrae ~i I,is ...l.br.ss. Ml VI a i - a.I inter brought (■’own,l I be ooeM.ioil of eoni pe lllia 1,1 Oil to oHieia I losing ollne, and tin-. matter ot wind b.-r I o v i-rcaigi II was to l.e an undivided boiongb or a, borongb divided into raid.,-, ami expr-ertsed Inmscll strongly in favour of adequate compensation ami undivided borough, the meeting showing unmistakably that it also was strongly in"'favour of compensation, and, fin the most ]iurt, opposed to wards. ihe toast of the Greater Invercargill Association was proposed by Mr J. A. ITanan, M.P., who thought that an. association which has done such splendid work should not tca-se to exist, but -should devote its attention to a number of useful works for the benefit -of the town, and district. Mr W. B. Scandrett, on rising to respond to this toast, was greeted with prolonged applause, it being recognised that he was a unique figure in municipal politics in Invercargill, having been a member of the original Town Board, for twenty-one years town clerk of Invercargill, and foi many years a councillor and mayor. A number of other speeches and songs spun out t-he proceedings till nearly 12 o’clock, when “ Auld Lang Syne ” and the National Anthem brought a memorable evening to a fitting close. Mr George Mackie, the well-known sawmiller, died at bis residence, Maka-r-ewa, on Wednesday last after a very short illness. The news created greatastonishment, as Mackie was _ a man of splendid physique, apparently in the best of health. Mr Mackie -has been engaged in sawmilling in Southland for a great many years past, and has recently, with his sons, been making .ready to start another mill on a good red pine area at Stewart Island, which- he acquired some time ago. Mr Mackie will be greatly missed, a-s he was a man of quick wit, always ready with a joke or a funny story; a perfect encyclopedia of knowledge, clear beaded and logical. Of late years he has had a g&od deal of worry, as sawmilling ventures at Glory Harbour, Stewart Island, and at Tautuku, and his connection with the unfortunate steamer Rose Casey, resulted in great loss of time and labour. The Bluff Regatta Committee are singularly unfortunate with regard to their annual fixture. It was found impossible to, get off the rowing events on Monday, 3rd inst., and they were therefore postponed till Wednesday, 12th. The wind on that day, however, was even worse than on the earlier date, and the remainder of the regatta had again to be postponed for a week. The Southland Mounted Rifles and the Wallace Mounted Rifles hold their annual camp from sth to 12th February The camp will again he held at Riverton. The Taraw-era Goldmining Company have now got going with the work of erecting their smelter. The building has been completed, and the smelter, the pipe line, Pelton wheels, etc., have g-on-e down to the. claim where the company’s engineer (Mr Storie) has taken charge. It is expected that preparations will he completed about the end of March, when smelting will begin. In view of the probability that the first section of the Invercargill trams to he laid will be that to Waikiwi, a syndicate has bought 50 acres on the North road, near Gladstone, and proposes cutting it up and placing it on the market at an early date. The property has a frontage of twenty -chains to the North road, and runs right back to the railway. At the meeting of the Greater Invercargill Council, held on Thursday evening, it was moved that the borough be constituted an undivided borough. The proposal was opposed by Councillors M‘Par!ane, Ekenateen and Baird, and was carried by a large majority, only eightcouncillors voting against it. The contention of the opponents was that unless the different parts of the town had special representatives, it would be nobody’s business to see that grievances were attended to, and they anticipated that most of the councillors would be men from the central part of the town. This, however, is regarded by many as extremely unlikely, as some of our most public-spirited men, though holding large interests in the town, are also largely interested in the outlying portions where they reside. It is probable that those gentlemen who were the officials, of the previously existing Borough of Invercargill will be retained in their positions; that two at least of the former town clerks will receive monetary compensation, and that work will be found under the united borough for several others. A practicable- route has been discovered from Milford Sound to Lake Wakatipu by a party of holiday-making explorers, and it is claimed for this route that it is the shortest, most direct, and most interesting possible. When it is properly opened up it will tend to further popularise the fiord district, tourists being enabled to make a complete round instead of doing the Sounds district and them coming back to Invercargill and proceeding to Queenstown. The (Southland Education Board, at its ordinary meeting on. Friday, made the

following ■ appointments : _ Arrowtown Walti*r C. Blackic, head, teacher ; O'.ama _ 'l'],;.*. .Mrs Maxwe 11 he recommended to Ui.p <!■qiartmcnt for appointment as sewing mktrefis; Tc Wae W P .£—Douglas C. Brown, temporary solo teacher Etalvale Lilian Dcvcrel I. temporary sole teacher; Invercargill South—Andrew Hall, temporal y tenth assistant ; Queenstown —Kliza(jcl.li K, 15a rlier, temporary mistress ; Half Moon liny —.Maria K. D. Simon, temjioi ai y m istress ; Wainiatuku —Margaret Voting, temporary mistress ; Wendon— Annie T. Winning, temporary mistress; Colae Bay —Annie Watson, p.t. (2nd v ear) ; Niglit.ca ps, —Katherine A. LangI p.t. (3rd year) ; Gore —Sarah C. Ityan, p.t. ; Waikiwi —Lizzie Edginton, p.t. (2nd year); South —Mary E. Keenan, p.t,. (3rd year) ; Park —Elsie A. Vickery, p.t. (3rd ’year), failing her acceptance, Miss Unity Sutherland. Probationers — That the "following probationers be appointed :—Waikiwi, Irene Haiti; Park, inly Stevenson ; Woodlands, Alexander Milne; Makarewa, Ivy D. C. Forsyth; Mataura, Margaret Bogue ; and Bluff, Annie Welsh. The Hospital Saturday Committee is beginning to bestir itself with a view to taking up the annual collection on sth March. Most of the ladies who assisted last year will again place their services at the disposal of the committee, and a meeting of ladies is to be held on Tuesday afternoon to go into details. Efforts are being made to induce Mr W. Macalister, the president of the Greater Invercargill Association, to become a candidate for the office of Mayor of Invercargill at the forthcoming election, and if Mr Macalister sees fit to stand, it is confidently expected that be will be returned by a large majority. The Rev W. Ritchie, M.A. (formerly of EdendaleL is now editor of “ The Dreadnought,” the official organ of the Manawatu No-license Council.—Southland Times. The temporary disappearance of Mr G. T. Smyth, the well known baker of Tay street, caused a good deal of anxiety to his friends in the earlier part of the week. Mr Smyth, who has bean ill lately, arose from his bed about mid-day on Monday, and remarking that he would be back in ten minutes, went off on his bicycle. He was seen that afternoon in the neighbourhood of Waikiwi, and later on by a number of chddren near Lome farm. As he did not return home on Monday night, his absence, in view of the state of his health, created a good deal of uneasiness, and on Tuesday his friends got up a search party to find him. He was found in a dazed stats in the bush at Makarewa searching for his bicycle, and unaware that a night and nearly a day had elapsed since he left home. The Southland Hospital and Charitable Aid Board are greatly put about because of a communication from the AuditorGeneral in which ho practically accuses them of neglecting their duty, in that they did not properly supervise the work of the late secretary, who embezzled large sums of money, for which offence be was imprisoned. The Auditor-General's letter, I understand, is in reply to a letter from the board in which they, among other things, accuse the Audit Department of laxity in its audit of the board’s books and papers. At a meeting held at Otautau on Friday evening, an Association was formed, to be called the Merrivale Land Settlement League, its object being to endeavour to induce the Government to purchase the Merrivale Estate for closer settlement, and they are approaching the Minister of Lands' with a view to getting the Government to consider the matter. As soon as the poll was taken on the question of amalgamation, and it became known that the proposal had been defeated in South Invercargill, a committee of local gentlemen set to work to get up a petition praying the Governor to sever the North Ward from South Invercargill and join it on to the united borough of Invercargill. The canvass for signatures has been carried on strenuously ever since, and now about 420 have been obtained. This is an overwhelming majority of the ratepayers of the area sought to be joined, but it is anticipated that quite 450 will be obtained before the petition is sent to Wellington, and that in the course of a few months this important area will become part of Greater Invercargill,