SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3293, 25 April 1917, Page 27

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) INVEiRCARGULL, April 21. The matter of greatest general interest in Southland, and no doubt throughout the Dominion at this time, is the sudden and drastio reduction in the ordinary train service to save coal, which reduction has been brought about by the strike in the West Coast mines. The train service in Southland has been cut down by about two-thirds;, and most of the important towns whioh had formerly two trains a day have now only two trams three times a week, and on the Waikaka and Waikaia branches the train service is suspended altogether. Not only is this so, but a good many classes of goods will not be accepted for carriage .over the railways in the meantime. These classes; include (building material, fencing material, timber, cement, vehicles, returned empty oases, racehorses, artificial manure, corrugated iron, straw, flax, in bales, wool for storage, lime for manure and building, and green flax. These restrictions will affect a large number of industries, and it will be a strange experience for somo Southlanders, who have been used to a really good train service, to find their travelling restricted to three days a week. To most people the strike of tho West Coast miners, as a protest against the Military Service Bill for conscription, seems to' be entirely without justification, as coal miners are having more exemptions granted than any other line of industry. To suggest that there is any very general objection to' conscription is absurd. At worst it is regarded as a very unfortunate necessity, to which there appears to be no alternative. Anzac Day will be celebrated in Invercargill on Wednesday next by services in "all the churches, -a military parade in the afternoon, and by a patriotic meeting in the Municipal Theatre in the evening. Mr T. A. Wallace, who has been accountant to Messrs Price and Bulleid for tho last 28 years, has been appointed accountant to the Canterbury Savings Bank and Building Society, at Ashburton, and loaves in a few days to take up his duties there. During hia, many years' residence in Invercargill 'Mr Wallace has been a keen supporter of all forms of outdoor sports, having been a director of the Caledonian 'Society for many years, a good rifle shot, an enthusiastic angler and bowler, and a useful member of the Park School Committee.

On Monday evening- last Mr W. D. Hunt, National Efficiency Commissioner for the Otago Military District, mado a most interesting statement with regard to tho work of the Efficiency Board, showing how tho board proposed to' handle the farms and businesses of men who have to go to the war. In (Southland there would: bo two Boards of Trustees, one to deal with farms, and the other with tho businesses. These men, ho said, were capable, public-spirited men with wide experience, to whom soldiers or their dependents need not hesitate to go for advice and help. The trustees of the National Efficiency Board would also bo of great assistance to tho Military Service Board -TO investigating and reporting on appeals, though tho responsibility of deciding the appeals would rest with the Military Service Board alone. Tho National Efficiency Board would also attend to the organisation of available labour, especially labour in tho country, so that each and every member of the community should havo the opportunity, and be obliged to do everything possible in efficiently carrying on tho work of tho country while tho war lasts. It had l , he said, been said that the pi-o-ductlon of . food was a matter of first importance) but while he admitted that tho production of foodstuffs was of groat importance, men for the front were of still greater importance. Wo had made a bargain with the Imperial authorities to supply a certain number of men every month, and we had practically mado a bargain with our boys in tho trenches to keep them fully supported, so our_ reinforcements must therefore bo maintained. Mr Hunt referred to the fact that farmers were repeatedly accused of refusing to grow wheat because other things paid better. He himself had had practical experience in farming, and knew that fanners worked early and late seven days a week, and always had their noses to tho grindstone for want of money. The fanning community had provided men in as great a proportion as any other industry, and they must grow at least enough food for their stock, or that stock would be lost. Their ability to grow surplus food depended on tho fund of labour available, and this had been so depleted that the sowing of grain could not bo greatly increased, if, indeed, it could be maintained. While in Tnvereargill on Monday, Mr Hunt was wnitod upon by a deputation from the Chamber of Commerce and Southland League with regnrd to the proposed reduction of train services, by which tho morning express was to be cut out, thus making it impos.¥ : blo for Tnvereargill people to get through to Lyirtclton in one day. It was argued that as far as Southland was concerned the proposed new service had not been very well worked out, and that a.

through express could bo maintained at very little oxtra expense, whereas if it were out out ib would mean a great dead of expense to Southlandei-s. Mr Le- Hoylcs suggested that possibly the General Manager ot Railways might meet Southland to the extent of giving- a through train three days a week, a suggestion which seemed to meet with the approval of tho members of the deputation. On Sunday morning last the body of a man named Michael Dooley, a contractor from tho Fortroso district, was found lying on Argylo Beach at Bluff under circumstances that at first seemed to indicate foul play. From evidence presented at an inquest into tho matter, it appears that Dooloy, who visited Bluff from time to time, had been drinking at various hotels on Saturday, and was turned away from the Bay View Hotel about 10 p.m., having at that timo as much liquor as he could carry. He was seen going in the direction of Argylo Beach, and it is now supposed that deceased fell among tho rocks, thus causing the marks found on his body. The hody had boon thrown abcxit by the tide and washed up on tho beach. The ladies who have in hand tho matter of raising £IOOO to furnish the St. Helens Maternity Homo are still meeting with fair success, the total amount subscribed now reaching to over £7OO. A small committee has been appointed to purchaso the furniture, with instructions to get it from local houses.

At tho Police Court on Friday L. G. Roope, proprietor of the Waihopai Brewery, and his clerk, Evan Lyon, were charged with receiving in tho no-license area of Invercargill an order for liquor. The person from whom the order was received! was Senior-sergeant Burrows. Tho point at issue was. whether or not orders placed in a box at Mr Roope's office in town, but taken unopened to tho brewery, could be regarded as received in the office, since tho office did not deal with them. Tho Magistrate, Mr Cruickshank, reserved his decision till tho following day, when ho said he had read the report in the newspapers of the judgment in the previous case, and he could not see that there was any practical difference in orders for liquor going into a post office- box controlled by Roope, or in being placed in a box in Roope's office, as had" previously been done. There must bo a Conviction, and Roope would bo fined £lO. He could not see that Lyon had done anything at all, and dismissed the charge against him. In answer to Mr Russell, the Magistrate agreed that in the event of an appeal being lodged the grounds for fjuch could be fixed later. Mr Russell mentioned that Roope had been acting under .legal advice, and the Magistrate said that he recognised that. He would have sent Roopo to gaol for three months if he had thought otherwise. ■ . It looks as if the Invercargill Borough Council is gc'ng to receive an infusion of now blood at the forthcoming election, the following novices offering their services: Messrs J. A. Doig, H. J. Far-rant, John Matheson, J. R. Martin, g< M'C. M'Donald, Wm. Hy. Newall, F. W. Preddy, R. N. Ridd, John Stevenson, and Turner Smth. The candidates total 19, and as only 12 are required there is likely to bo a lively contest. . For three seats on the Bluff Harbour Board there are five candidates, of whom three are old representatives. For the Southland Hospital and Charitable Aid Board £herc are four candidates, for three seats, two of the cand : clates being lachesMrs Cruickshank (a present member of tho board) and Miss Birss (for many years mistress of the Middle School). The election of Mrs Cruickshank has been so fully justified by the good work done by her bhat there is a general hope that Miss Birss may also be elected.