SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3352, 12 June 1918, Page 23

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

(From Oub Own Cop.hesponpent.)

INVERCARGILL, June 0. As was expected, the Invercargill Borough Council objects to the Southland County Council's proposals regarding the O'tatara bridge, and at Thursday's meeting of the Borough Council the following motion was passed with only two dissentients:—" The Invercargill Borough Council objects to the proposal of the Southland County Council, dated April 19, 191.8, for the construction of a bridge over the New River Estuary, and also objects to contribute to the cost of constructing the said bridge on tho following grounds:—(l) That the proposed bridge is not of advantage or benefit _to the whole or to any considerable portion of the inhabitants of the borough of Invercargill ; (2) that the proposed bridge is_ not of advantage or benefit to any considerable portion of the inhabitants of the Southland County; (3) that it is not reasonable that, the Invercargill Borough Council should contribute to tho cost of constructing the said bridge; (4) that those parts on the plan marked "formed road" and "metalled road" are not a road or street; (5) that the proposed site for 'the said bridge is not upon or connected with any county or public road or street, but is within privately-owned lands of the corporation of the borough of Invercargill within the said borough ; (6) that the distance from each tween the proposed bridge and the nearest public road is unreasonably great; (7) that the land required for connecting roads between the prpooscd bridge and the nearest public roads or strce.ts is wholly within the borough of Invercargill, and in the pri-vately-owned property of the borough. If it should be decided that a bridge should be constructed across 'the New River Estuary to connect the borough of Invercargill with the County of Southland, the Invercargill Borough Council is not convinced that the site proposed is the best or proper site, a<? it may injuriously affect the New River Harbour, and otherwise may not be the most advantageous site; wherefore the Invercargill Borough Council objects to the proposed site. If any property of the corporation of the borough of Invercargill be taken for the purpose of the proposed bridge or connecting roads, the Invercargill Borough Council claims compensation therefor." It will now probably be necessary for the Borough Council to get a commission -appointed to settle the matter. In the meantime the Prison.? Department is making good progress with the wall in connection with the proposed new rifle range?, and before long the Defence Department will begin to be vitallv interested in the bridge Question, as without a bridge 'the new work is riuite useless. Some time ago the Invercargill railway servants drew the attention of the Board of Trade to nn increase in tho price of bread, which increase the society regarded as quite out of proportion to the rise in ffcutr. Tho hoard communicated with the Master Bakers' Association of Invercargill. which suggests that the retail prices should he over the counter 10d; delivered, lid. TTie board could not agree to this, but fixed the nrices "t 9£d cash over the counter and l(Ud delivered, with nn extra ]n!fpennv for book in cr, and they have notified the Society of Railway Servants accordingly. Tho Borough Council has also been in"communication w»rh the Board of Trade on this matter, and are not satisfied that the increase is not excessive. The board ifs being asked to explain on what grounds they concluded that* the prices authorised are instifiod.

CaiVtain-ehaplain Burridge. minister of St. Paul's Presbyterian Church. Invcrcargill. rr«vo a most interesting lecture in the Municipal Theatre on Wednesday evenmar. the lecture dealing for the most part with the work or the Y.M.C.A. in the war areas, interspersed with many anecdotes of the lecturer's pergonal experiences. The lecture, which was delivered in a free-and-easy conversational sfvle. was intensely interesting throughout, thrillfrigrlv so at many points, and was closely followed and thoroughly enjoyed. He dealt trenchantly with the unpa'friotic spirit which had rejected conscription in Australia, and held that the should never have been put to the pnnular vof<\ but should havr> been enacted by Parliament, as was done in New Z'vil-ind. Deah'npr with the work of the Y.M.C.A.. he the startling promptitude with which the association got to work in serving the soldiers, its. enormous initial financial ec c -nmitments being undertaken on the personal guarantees "of some of the association's leaders

and supporters before the churches began to realise the jieed of such provision. Tho workers, however, como from the churches, and so did much of the iinancial support. Money had come from many sources in. a plentiful stream, but was all needed and more, and it had been of inestimable help to our soldiers on many fields and in many ways. As the theatre was well filled, tho price of admittance being 2s and Is, and tho expenses light, there should be a good sum to add to tho Y.MO.A. relief funds. Mr Amok! M'Donald, son of Mr S. M'Donald, _ City Boot Palace, the first Southland lad to secure an aviator's certificate .at tho Sockburn Flying School, left for tho north on Wednesday, en route for England, where ho will enter tho air service.

At the opening of the Magistrate's Court on Friday Mr J. F. Lillierap, president of the Southland Law Society, paid a tribute to the late Mr James Harvey, who, ho said, was a sound Lawyer and an able advocate, always ready to help and advise t the younger members of the profession. Mr Cruickshank, S.M., said that Mr Harvey had been tho senior member of the local bar for very many years, and was implicitly trusted. The leading tallies in the egg laying competition at the end of the seventh week were: —R, C. Ferguson. 189; Mrs J. Anderson, 176; James Strang, 172; E. Davis, 167.'

A railway porter named John Gordon was killed at the Luinsden station on Thursday evening when shunting tho GoroLumsdon train. No one saw the accident, but another porter found the deceased lying under a truck with both legs smashed. Deceased leaves a widow and three children.