SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3335, 13 February 1918, Page 23

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

(Feom Oub Own Correspondent.) INVEROARGILL, February 9. The Southland Frozen Meat Company has had another good year,- resulting in a profit of £20,265. This, added to the amount at credit of profit and loss account, makes a total of £30,479. The company is paying out a 5 per cent, dividend and a bonus of 5 per cent., and is adding £IO,OOO to its building fund, very' extensive additions having been found necessary. The amount now carried forward to credit of profit and loss is £13,651. At Tuesday's meeting of the Southland Presbytery the Kev. G. H. Jupp's resignation of the Woodlands charge was accepted, and Mr Jupp on the important spnero to which ho had been called —the position of assistant minister of Knox Church, Dunedin. Rev. J. Collie, of North Inveroargill, was appointed Presbytery clerk in the place ot the Rev. Mr Begg, who has accepted a call from Highfield, Canterbury! Rev. A. M'Neur is to be inducted into the pastoral charge of the Winton congregation on Wednesday, March 6. With the exception of a break at New Year the w r eather in Southland has been magnificent for a very long time, and good weather can usually be counted on during February. Quito a number of picnics arranged for last Wednesday were held, but it rained heavily for most of the day, and the various outings were quite spoiled. During the past few years, thanks to the bequest of the late Mr John Feldwick, great improvements have been made, in Victoria Park, which is now beooming one of the pleasure resorts of tho. town. A magnificent road runs straight through it from Victoria avenue to Gladstone, affording a delightful walk, and a large portion of tho area between tho road and tho bowling green has been turned into a very fine rose garden, which has been a centre of attraction right through the summer. The Gala Street Reserve is also gradually becoming a thing of beauty, the shrubs planted in the upper part of it having thriven exceedingly! The last block of this reserve, that facing the hospital, is now being brought in. The big fir trees were cut down in the spring, and the plough is at present working on this area. At the Police Court, Inveroargill, on Wednesday, a man named Charles Greenway was charged with forgery.. The evidence adduced alleged that accused stole a blank Bank of New Zealand cheque from his next door neighbour, John Oasserly, farmer, Limehills, forged tho name of Charles Hammond, of Limehills, filled in the cheque for £lO, and handed it to Bray Bros, in payment for a case of fruit valued at lis 6d, first endorsing the cheque with a fictitious name. Accused was committed for trial at tho next sitting of the Supreme Court at Invercargill. Another draft of young Southlanders left for tho north by Monday's express to und.rgo a course of training for war. Before entraining they were drawn up in front of the railway station, where they were addressed by the Mayor (Mr John Stead). His Worship said that at every "send-off" hopes were expressed that it would be tho last, but" still the war went on. However, till recently it was all "going"; now it was also "coming," and he was pleased to seo returned soldiers in the crowd. It was now clear that neither diplomacy nor money would win the war, but only forco of arms; and the next few months would show what tho end would be. Ho hoped that the war would be over before they reached the battlefield, or, at wohst, that they would just be in time to help give the enemy tho knock-out blow. There has been a. marked falling off in cases of diphtheria reported in the Southland health district in January, as ' compared with any of the previous three months, this result being credited to the closing of the schools. All the town schools resume work on Tuesday, the 12th inst. About 10 o'clock on Friday morning a small store behind Mr J. S. Baxter's Deo street shop was found" to be on fire, and the Fire Brigade was summoned. As, howover, the store contained kerosene, turpentine, etc., the fire got a strong start. When the brigade arrived an effort was made to take ''the hose through the shop, but tho smoke was too dense, and the fire had to be attacked from behind. Before it was got under the whole of the front shop and its contents were grcat.lv damaged by fire and water, and the opinion was freely expressed bv the onlookers that the attack on the fire had been mismanaged. Mr Baxter, who was absent in country canvassing for patriotic funds, will be a conS'derablo loser. At tho Police Court on Monday a man nam"d Timothy O'Connor was fined £5 for smashing a bottlo of boor oji the face of a returned soldier. From tho evidence it appeared that Collinson wont ho tho Wallaeotown Hotol for a stock of Honor. which ho put into a brief bag. Coming bnok i!) the taxi O'Connor and others stole tho liquor and retired to of tho ijaworks to., drink it. Collin F-on followed thorn and olnimod hi? nronorty : a fight following, during which O'Connor struck Cnllinson in tho face w'th a full bottlo of boor, a? already stated. Charles Gvoonw->v. ordered nt the Police Court to stand his trial for was recalled to answer a charge of false r>rotenooc. Accused, •-'•ho wa? shown to have a bad record, obtained a brnco- and sot of hits from, the Now Zealand Hardware Com pnny bv nrotenditiEr that thov wore for Messrs Lindsnv -end Dixon. Winton, and when ho found that the polico were after

bim, went to the Hardware Company and asked for li'ia account. Ho was sentenced to 14 days' hard labour.