SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3313, 12 September 1917, Page 23

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

(From Oor Own Correspondent.) INVERCARGILL, September S. Mr F. Knight, of the Invercargill Magistrate's and Supreme Courts, has received promotion to the position of deputyregistrar of the Supreme Court, Dunedin, and left for the north on Wednesday to occupy his new position. I'rior to his departure Mr Knight was presented by the, local court staff with a silver-mounted oak tray as an expression of goodwill and appreciation, Mr G. G'mickshanlcs, »S.M., making the presentation. Dr C. B. Snow, who is at present in the North Island, is expected to return to Invercargill in about 10 days' time, and will resume practice immediately afterwards. His Honor Mr Justice Sim has given his decision for the appellant in the case of James King v. Southland Land Board. This was ; an appeal under section 53 of "The Lands Act, 1908," from the decision of the Southland Land Board forfeiting the occupation of a lease with right to purchase, and refusing the appellant his right to purchase under the Act. His Honor held that Mr King had complied with the conditions, and was entitled to the right to purchase the freehold.

The new fcllmongery of Messrs Kingsland Bros, and Anderson, of Waikiwi, was opened on Wednesday afternoon in tho presence of a number of visitors invited by the firm to the formal opening ceremony. After inspection of the new works tho visitors were entertained at a dinner, and several toasts were honoured, Mr It. A. Anderson proposing the toast of "Prosperity to Kingsland Bros, and Anderson," to which Mr T. D. Kingsland responded. In his reply Mr Kingsland mentioned that the firm was founded in 1862, and that the whole output was now being used in the boot trade. Mrs Harrison Lee-Cowie, who is leaving Invercargill to take up her residence in Dunedin, has just , returned from a very successful tour of the North Island in the interests of the W.C.T.U., and as a result of meetings held has been instrumental in adding 1260 new members to that union.

Southland's subscription towards the 1917 Liberty Loan amounts to the grand total of £304-,OCO, exclusive of the investments made through country banks. Saturday and Monday last saw immense business at the Invercargill Post Office, which was thronged with investors throughout both clays, the supply of war loan certificates giving out during the forenoon of Monday. A fresh batch of certificates, however, arrived by the afternoon mail, and a large portion of the new supply was taken up before the post office closed at 5 p.m. Tho total investments through the post offices of Southland amounted to £236,000 odd, £63,000 being subscribed through the Invercargill banks. The country banks account direct to headquarters, so that at present it is impossible to state the banks' total for the province. Included in the total are several large investments of from £2OOO to £6OOO by private citizens and business houses, tho Invercargill Corporation investing £SOOO through the" Public Trustee, which was paid in at Wellington. Mr John Gray ha-s been appointed chairman of directors of the Mataura Dairy Factory Company (Ltd.) for the twenty. third year in succession. This f-ertainly shows the implicit confidence the directors and shareholders have in Mr Gray, who will not be a supplier to the factory this season, oSving to the calling to the colours of his son. rendering it necessary for him to dispose of his herd. Mr Dickie, another director, who did not seek re-election this year, has been a director of the company for 21 years and a continuous supplier. Considerable damage has been sustained at Stewart Island as a result of the recent gales. The Invercargill Shipping Company's wharf at Murray River has been washed entirely away, a large quantity of timber being stacked on it at the time ready for shipment. The whole of tho approach to Horseeh.ee Bay was also washed

away. An estimate of the damage done to the seawalls, ete., at Halfmoon and Horseshoe Bavs is set down at £7OO, and it is the intention of tho Stewart Island County Council to applv to the Publio Works Department for assistance in repairing the damage sustained. A start has been made by the Bum .Harbour Board with the erection of the new cool stores at Bluff, and most of the concrete foundation is now finished. Ihe board has been very prompt in dealing with the matter, and has recognised the urgency of pushing forward the work with all possible speed if the new stores are to be available for this season's cheese. The majority of tho dairy factories will be reopening during this month, and a steady flow of cheese will be shortly on its way to the stores. There are etill some 14,000 crates remaining in store from last season, for which shipping space has not yet been found. . The late Mr Philip Chas. Lee, whoso funeral took place at the Eastern Cemetery on Thursday afternoon, was one of the longest service Volunteers in Southland, having been actively connected with the movement for the last 23 years. The late Mr Lee held tho rank of quartermaster-ser-geant in the C Battery, and was a regular and successful competitor at various rifle meetings. The mourners made a large and representative gathering to witness tho last rites, and floral tributes were forwarded from the Southland Rifle Association, the Invercargill Defence and the Wellington Railway Rifle Clubs, and from other societies in both church and lodge with Vhich the deceased had been intimately connected. The Southland and Ctago Dairy Factory Employees' Union's demands against the employers came up for hearing during the week before the Conciliation Commissioner (Mr J. R. Triggs), the assessore for io union being Messrs T. O'Byrne, Thos. Knox, and James H. Henderson, the employers being represented by Messrs T. W. Foster, D. Wards, and John Fisher. After the representatives of each side had conferred with the Commissioner, the parties were called together, and a settlement was arrived at on the basis of a war bonus of 10 per cent, and a slight alteration to the award clause in re schedule holidays, tho award to stand to June 30, 1919, eithei party having the right to apply to the court to have the bonus reviewed. The Rev. Howard Elliott, D >minion organiser of the Protestant Political Association, held a highly successful meeting in the Municipal Theatre on Tuseday evening in connection with the formation of a local branch of the association. All available space in -the theatre was closely packed with humanity, the speaker'sureputation and the subject of his address being, no doubt, mainly responsible for the great interest taken. The Rev. Mr Elliott in a vigorous 6peech spoke of the political activities of the Catholio Federation and its menace to Protestant New Zealand. The speaker urged the necessity of the Protestants combating this menace by the formation throughout New Zoaland of branches of the Protestant Political Association. The association's platform was a purely political one, and neither attacked nor reflected upon the religion or religious practices of Roman Catholics. In his address the speaker also touched upon the exemption from, military service of priests and Marist Brothers. As a result' of the meeting a branch of the Protestant Political Association has been formed in Invercargill. The Rev. Mr Elliott also visited Bluff and addressed a meeting there, and the meeting decided to form a branch of the association at Bluff.