SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3101, 20 August 1913, Page 48

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

(From Cur Own Correspondent.)

INVERCARGILL, August 16. The Southland Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has appointed Mr R. W. Robson, of South Invercargill, to the position of inspector and- collector. As the society depends on subscriptions for its revenue, it is hoped tliat there will be a rapid increase of its membership. Several cases of cruelty have already been reported. Cruelty to horses and bullocks employed in the sawmilling industry is said to bo rather common.

For the hand contest to be held in October the following bands have entered: —First Grade'; Lyttelton, Timaru, Oamaru, Kaikorai. and the three Invercargill bands. Second Grade: Caversham. Ashburton, Middlemarch, Balclutha, Gore, Mataura, Bluff, Winton, and Nightcaps. Rev. Mr M‘Dowell, Presbyterian minister at Nightcaps, has received, and is likely to accept, a call from the Presbyterian Church at Kaitangata Tlie election of two members for the Southland Education Board resulted in the defeat of Messrs J. Crosby Smith and Thos. Mac Gibbon by Messrs Alex. Lowrie, of Invercargill, and 11. E. Niven, of Edendalo, both of the new men getting in by big majorities. On Wednesday, at the Invercargill Police Court. H. W. Beilby, of Bluff, was charged with obtaining credit by means "of a false balance sheet; ((2) carrying on business on fictitious capital (bankrupt started without any capital of his own); (3) contracting debts without reasonable expectation of being able to pay; and (4) not keeping proper books of account. Accused was sen fenced to four months’ imprisonment.

The settlers of Tntanere are not satisfied with the recent decision of the Wallace County to stick to its resolution to restrict the hours for working the punt over the Waiau River. At a meeting held last Saturday the action of the council was strongly condemned, and it was resolved to again ask * hem to make more reasonable arrangements.

Tbo Competitions continue to he the centre of interest in Invercargill at present, and there are packed houses each evening. Final demonstration's are to bo held on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings next week, and arrangements are being made to admit of seats being booked beforehand for these entertainments, so as to at least moderate the crush.

At tho Invercargill Police Court on Thursday three young men. charged with shooting hares without licenses, were fined XT, X'2, and £3 respectively, and costs. On his way south yesterday Sir Joseph Ward had ample proofs of his undim in ished popularity. At Gore and Mataurn he Itntl hearty welcomes from the Borough Councils and townspeople, while at Invercargill he had a most impressive reception. Long before the arrival of the afternoon express crowds began to gather, and by 2.20 thcro must have been quite 1000 people gathered about the railway station, the Southland Pipe Band and the Hibernian Brass Band taking part in the reception. On arrival at Invorgill Sir Joseph was welcomed by tho Mayor and councillors and other public men, and taken to the Post Office Rotunda. Sir Joseph in responding, acknowledged the warmth of

the welcome, and expressed himself as glad to bo back after a most enjoyable trip. Thereafter a move was made to the Council Chambers, where Sir Joseph’s portrait was formally unveiled, and he was presented with an address ol we.come, in which special mention was made of the valuable and

generous service rendered to the town by Sir Joseph while in London, in arranging the T90.9J0 loan on reasonable terms at a period of financial stringency. _ Sir Joseph, in responding, said that anything he comd do lor Invercargill was a labour ot love. lie regarded luveicargill as a coming gieat city, and was proud of the high compliment done him in placing his portrait in the Council Chambers. A letter from the of .Luatapere and the Waiau districts legarding the working of the Waiau punt was considered at tho last meeting oi the Wallace County Council, and the chairman and engineer and Cr Tapper wore appointed to go to 1 uatapere and ascertain wnether any change could be made in the Sunday punt service. Sir Joseph Ward was entertained at aUeriioon tea by the Mayor and councillors at the Federal Tea Booms yesterday afternoon, in acknowledging the good wishes of the company, Sir Joseph said that New Zealand was now very much better known at Home ttjan it was io years ago, but was still comparatively unknown. Tie had had many opportunities of extolling the attractions 01 tho Dominion, and he made the most of tnosc opportunities. Sir Joseph is to be banqueted by the Winton Borough Counci.. Sir Joseph Ward had a very hearty welcome on reaching Bluff on Saturday, a large number of the residents turning out to meet him. The Mayor (Mr W. riiuchey). m welcoming Awarua’s parliamentary representative, regretted that he had been absent nom tho Dominion at the time of the visit of H.M.S. Now Zealand to Bluff, as Bluff had been very shabbily treated in connection with that event. Sir Joseph, in replying, re-o-retted that tho stay of the warship at Otago and Bluff had been so short, as they were entitled to a good opportunity of seeing it. In referring to the exodus of people from the Home Country, Sir Joseph pointed out that the great distance militated against a big proportion coming to New Zealand, but he thought New Zealand was getting about as many as could be expected. In the evening Sir Joseph was entertained at an oyster supper, when he gave a very interesting account of his visit Homo. There are still a number of dairy factory companies in Southland which have not sokl their next season’s output. After last year’s experience the wisdom of taking a good price when offered is pretty generally recognised, those factories which sold in the beginning of 1912 having been very much better off than those which consigned, and the sellers paying their suppliers Is 2d and even Is 3d pci- lb bntter-fat, while the consignors can just manage Is. Mr David Scott, a well-known and popular driver of the Wallacctown bus, who recently sold his holding and is leaving the district, was last Monday evening entertained at a farewell concert in the Wallacetown Hull and presented with a silver tea and coffee service and a travelling rug. A. J. Simpson was charged at the Invercargill Police Court on Friday with ' stabbing another youth named Blackmore in the back with a pocket-knife during a struggle in the Nith Street Woodware Factory, where both are employed. The defence was that the stabbing was accidental, and as there was some evidence in support of the plea, the Magistrate (Mr Cruickshank) dismissed the charge.