SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES

Otago Witness, Issue 3353, 19 June 1918, Page 27

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES

(From Our Own Correspondent.) INVERCARGILL, Juno 17. The effort made by the- Ladies' Auxiliary, arid assisted by the War Funds Association on Saturday iost, to raise iunds for trie Y.M.C.A.'s war work, resulted in the Highly satisfactory sum ot til'dZd being collected. 'liio day was not an ideal one lor such an undertaking, but rain did not fall, as it gave promise ot doing, but the' willing collectors and stallholders were able to do good business without inconvenience. The uauges and the street collection realised iJdOU, and donations and collections iJ'ltK). uuring the afternoon the Eighth Regimental Band rendered musical selections from the rotunda, and gave valuable assistance to the collectors/ Brigadier VVouters, of the Belgian army, gave a lecture on Monday evening in tne Victoria Hall in aid oi thy Red Cross Fund ot his country. Every inch ot space in the hall was lined with people, winle many were unable to gam admission. Brigadier Wouters, who was accompanied by the Belgian Consul, Mr G. L. Dcnmston, was briefly introduced to. the audience by the Mayor, Mr John Stead. Brigadier Wouters was received with loud applause, and, alter briefly expressing the tnanks of Belgium lor ail that rsew Zealand had done to neip Ins country in her hour ot need, the lecturer went on to describe the pre-war cond.tions ot Belgium, and from that to the first three months of the war, which part of the lecture was illustrated by lantern slides. Messrs T. W. Foster and H. J. Middleton, directors of the South island Dairy Association, together with the association':; secretary, Mr iamb, will attend a conference at "the Palmerston North "Winter Show next week, when important matters regarding the disposal ot next season's enecr-o wnl be considered. The following returned soldiers YYJII proceed by the express on Monday, 17th. inst., for Rotorua Convalescent Home: —32813, Private J. W. Canning; 41195, Private D. D. C. Petrie; 29879, Private A. G. Sterne; 8/3590, Private J. Fotheringham; 10582, Private R. Foster; 43175, Private R. Batcheler; 8/2843, Private F. Bates; 34793, Private S. Branford; 8/2887 Private F. Liroft: 1464-1, Private W. Irvine; 68478, Private W. Elliott; 22959. Private D. Harris. The Southland draft of the Forty-third Reinforcements are duo to leave Inverearcargill by the afternoon express on Monday. The majority of the cheese factories of Southland are closing down this season much earlier than has been the case for some years, and as a result there will probably bo very little Ji ne and July make of cheese available for the local market. Private Henderson Hunter, a member of the firm of Messrs Blunter Bros, and Rice, of YVyndham, who is down on final leave, was entertained by the residents of Wyndhani on Tuesday evening and made the recipient of a wallet as a token of the < coein in which he is hold. Private HunKr has been an active member of the various institutions of the town, and previously occupied the position of secretary of the A. and P. Association and the Wyndham Racing Club. An inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of John Gordon, railway porter, who was killed at Lumsden on Thursday, June 6, by being run over by a railway waggon, was hold in the courthouse, Lumsden, on the following evening. After the Evidence had been taken the jury returned the verdict, with three riders: — "That the deceased died from shock caused by injuries accidentally received whilst in the execution of his duties as shunter in the railway yard at Lumsden on the evening of June 6, 1918. Wo would like to add that in our opinion this accident would not have happened had sufficient lights been provided by the department in the shape of powerful overhead lights, and would strongly urge the immediate erection of sufficient overhead lights to render the Lumsden railway yard safer for shunting operations at night time. W r e also direct the attention of the Railway Department to the necessity for installing a back shunt, as from the evidence before us such a provision seems necessary to facilitate shunting, and render such work safer for the men engaged therein. W r c further consider that the completion of fencing the whole railway yard should bo at once proceeded with :o prevent the public trespassintr across the yard, especially whilst shunting is being done." The coroner concurred with the verdict and riders. < On Wednesday afternoon a party of about 20 representatives of the Invercargill Town Council. Southland County Council, and Southalnd League paid a visit of inspection to Riverton Beach, via Otatara. with a view to see what attractions the would havo as a seaside resort, and the best means for providing travelling'facilities. Motor cars conveyed the party through Otatara to Sandy Point, where boats were ready to ship the party across the New River, .the remainder of the joy.vney to the beach, a dista.nce of ono mi'e and o-half, being negotiated on foot. Go arrival at the beach the party were grear.lv impressed at the possibilities of the locality as a seaside resort if given facilities of transport. The beach is 30 miles long, and approximately six miles from Invercargill as the crow flies. The party then proceeded by car to Dunn's road. The inspee-

tion was completed, and tho party started homeward, and arrived in town about 5 o'clock. The purpose of tiie visit was to allow the bodies interested ill the schenio lor providing means of reaching the beach to deckle upon the best route lor a tramway, and in tho opinion of those who inspected both routes —Sandy Point andf Dunn's road, —the former is the more suitable.