SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3100, 13 August 1913, Page 48

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

(Fbom Odb Own Correspondent.)

INVERCARGILL, August 9

The Invercargill Competitions this year promise to be a great success financially. Every evening the theatre i.s crowded, even standing room being unobtainable on Wednesday evening, on the occasion of the choir competition, hundreds being turned away. On tiiis evening the cash takings were £lls, and a great many season tickets wore in use. The judges of music and elocution have both expressed themselves as well pleased with the talent displayed by the competitors; but while there was plenty evidence of skilful and careful teaching for music, the judge of elocution (Mr Montague) had to deplore the fact that elocutionists wore not able to get the needed tuition in Invercargill. The choir competition on Wednesday evening was a most popular item, and the huge crowd that gathered to hear the contest had a musical treat. Two of the six entrants faced tiio judge, who said that the performances were astonishingly gcod for such a small place as Invercargill, and better than at Ballarat. To the winners. St. John’s Church Choir (Mr Chas. Cray l he gave first prize (£lO lOsi, their marks being:—Anthem, 172; part song, 177; total. 349. Mr J. E. Taylor’s party and the Bluff Choir tied for second prize (£5 ss'. while Gore Congregational Church Choir came third, and Knox Church Choir, Invercargill, fourth. At the close of the competition the five choirs combined, and went over both pieces under the leadership of Hot Sauer, producing a magnificent, volume of harmony.

The Southland Hospital Board, feeling that numbers of people well able to pay make use of the Invercargill Hospital, and do not contribute fairly to its funds, propose to make the weekly change of £5 3s, and exact payment from all who are in a position to pay. Mr John Feldwiek, formerly for many years one of the proprietors of the Southland Daily , News, died at Bournemouth (England) last Monday, and bequeathed £20.000 to the town of Invercargill for the formation and maintenance of Victoria Park. The amount bequeathed ts to be invested, and the interest devoted to the purpose mentioned. It is understood that Mr Fetdwick left about- £50,000, his three nieces getting £SOOO each. At Tuesday's meeting of the Presbytery the resignation of the Rev. E. Biesett, of Woodlands, which was tendered at the previous meeting, was accepted with regret, Mr Bissett having declined to withdraw it. The Presbytery expressed its appreciation of Mr Bfssett’s good work during his 18 years’ pastorate, and hoped that ho would soon find a suitable field of labour.

Messrs M’G-ruer, Taylor, and Co. are about to build : a three-story building in brick on the corner of E.sk and Dee streets, extending - from the Club Hotel down the Southern Cross Building. Operations will be commenced next month, and will take about a. year to complete.

Mr W. D. Hunt Ims been nominated for the position- of president of the Southland A. and P. Association, and Mr John Carmichael vice-president, while the following gentlemen have been nominated for directors: —Messrs R. A. Anders'on, F. A. Price, A. R. Deschler, Angus Campbell, Walter Bkikie, John M'Crostie, Alex. GerrarS, George Chewings, and A. Dahlenberg. At the Magistrate’s Court, Invercargill, on Thursday James Galt was charged with negligently driving a motor car along Dee street, and was fined £1 and costs . Sometime ago Miss Dornigan, while crossing Dec street to board a tramcm- for South Invercargill, was knocked down by a passing motor car, and so much hurt that she could not be removed home, but lay at the Albion Hotel for several days. It was subsequently discovered that Galt was the driver of the car, and he did his best to make amends by paying the expenses incurred by Miss Dornigan. who was quite content to have the matter settled in that way. The police, however, took up the ease as a matter of public duty; hence the prosecution. At the Invercargill Police Court on Tuesday a young man named E. G. Maloney was fined £2 10s and costs for assaulting Inspector G lance fie Id, of the Invercargill tram service. Accused, having been pur our of a North Invercargill car for obstruction, laid in wait with a companion for the inspector, and assaulted him. He caught a Tartar, however, for the inspector overpowered him, and handed him over to the pol ice. The long-standing difficulty between the Invercargill Corporation and the Otatara Land Proprietary las been settled by the council agreeing to pay a lump sum for past use of the tramway, and a satisfactory amount tor further use of it, to complete the reclamation works •Sir Joseph Ward is to pay a visit to Invercargill next week, and a reception is being arranged by the municipal authorities. Mr Nelson Saunders, at present an assistant in the Otaut-au School, has been appointed master of the Whaka School, near Taiha-pe. North Island

Mr James Stewart, who has for many years advocated the tapping of new underground supplies of water Instead of going In for a coetlv gravitation scheme for In vercargiil. and whose views were Justified by a recent experiment, was on Thursday presented with a handsome got! watch in recognition of ids services in this respect, those who were associated with him in his efforts being the prime movers in the presentation.

Mr R. W. Robson, of Invercargill, hi? been unpointed inspector for the recentlyformed Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and has taken up the duties of the position. Mr and Mrs W. J. Robertson were on the 2Sth nit. entertained at a farewell social in the Fernhil! Hall on the eve of leaving the district. Mr Robertson sold his farm with the intention of taking up home mission work. During the evening quite

number of sneakers bore testimony to the good work done by Mr Roliertson in connection with the church, the school, and the dairy factory. The School Committee presented Mr Robertson with a travelling rug, and the Kirk Session n number of useful volumes. The ladies of the district presented Mrs Robertson with a handsome

rrold watch suitably inscribed, while the Miesc* Robertson were also the recipients of narting gifts. Mr and Mrs Robertson will be greatly missed in the district, where they have taken a prominent part in church work for a very long time past.