SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3364, 4 September 1918, Page 23

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) IXVERCARGILL, August 31. The business men of the Dominion are taking up the prohibition campaign with a great interest, and some of them are subscribing very heavily to the fund. Not only this, but they have secured the services of Mr A. W. Rodger for a. six months' Dominion canvassing campaign, beginning with tho North Island. Meanwhile the drink people are not idle, and are obtaining signatures to a petition opposing a referendum on the question. The profit and loss account of tho Southland Pacing Club for its last-financial year, which has just been published, shows a profit for the year of' £263, notwithstanding that the club had bad weather for both its race meetings. The gate takings suffered, but the tota-h'sator investments increased so much as to off-set the loss and leave the profit mentioned. Tho Southland League, having failed to secure exemption for its secretary and having also failed to make satisfactory arrangements for a successor, has notified the War Funds Association that that body should now endeavour, to provide offices and a staff for itself. The league, which has already done good work for _ Southland in Eeverai directions, has appointed a committee- to consider the question of making use of water power in Southland for the purpose- of extracting nitrates from tho air. Mr Clare (harbourmaster) has advised the Harbour Committee of the Borough Council that heavy seas have to a- large _ extent neutralised tho effect of tho ebb tides in keeping a safe depth of water a-t the mouth of the New River, and expresses the fear that if the state of affairs becomes more unsatisfactory it will be impossible for a time for vessels of any considerable draught to come .up to Invcrcargill. The Copper Trail campaign has already resulted hi nearly £7OOO being secured in Southland, and the movement is only now being properly organised, so the final result is likely to be very creditable to the district.

At the annual meeting of the Southland Caledonian Society, held on Friday evening, Mr G. Taylor was elected president. The society during the past year was able to make very considerable donations to the van-ions patriotic funds, and yet starts the new year with a credit balance of over £IOO.

At Thursday's meeting of the Invercargill Borough Council attention was drawn to the fact that Mr E. G. Foster (the borough's tramway manager and electrical engineer) was about to go into camp. The feet that Mr Foster had asked the council not to appeal on his behalf was favourably commented on. Mr Eabbidge . (gas- engineer) has been appointed acting manager during Mr Fester's absence on service.

Master C. Dixon still leads in the Southland egg-laying competition, his total being 498 eggs. The next three are E. C. Ferguson 489, Mrs Gorinsky 469, and Charles Thomson 463.

During the recent visit of the Hon. J. A. Hanan (Minister of Education) to Invearcargill he was waited upon by a deputation representing the High Schools a.nd Technical College Boards, who urged upon him the need for increased school accommodation. Mr B. A. Anderson, the principal speaker, pointed out that the present accommodation was quite inadequate. The board some time ago secured 20 ceres of .the collegiate reserve in the hope of erecting a new school there, the cost of which would probablv be about .£20,000; but the beard was willing to hand over its present school and adjoining buildings, which were probably worth about £I O.OOO. They did not consider it unreasonable to make the request at this time, as grants had been made quite recentlv to roth Auckland and New Plymouth. The Minister said he recognised the need for a, new school, and would give the matter every consideration. He did not, however, commit himself to a promise that the money would be foi-thcominar.

The fact th.it previous endeavours by Invercar'gill public bodies to have the throuerh express service resumed have ended in failure is not recorded locally as making the position hopeless, and the Borough Council, in view of tlv fact that an alteralion in tbf running of the express in the favour of Dunediu is about to be m.ide. are endeavouring to secure support for another application to the Minister of Railways for a, through express for Invercargill. On Sunday afternoon last the dead body of a swawv was fou'id under a gorse fence at M'Xab, near Gore, and inquiries have resulted in the bodv being identified as that of David Gresrg. n labouring niMl. An examination has established Hip frtct <hat the cans* of death was exhaustion following peritonitis. Two bovs named Elder, sons of ■ Mr Wm. Elder, of Gladstone, went missinor on Mondav last, and every endeavour to trace thorn foiled until ThurscViy. when th"v arrived at their uncle's fhrm at Dacre. Thev had slept out during the interval, and had subsisted chi<-fh' on turnips. Tho balance shoat of the southland Farmers' Co-operative Association for the year ended 31st July, 1918. shows a. net profit of £7im 7s 7d„ out of which a. 6 per cent, dividend to preference shareholders is provided.