SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3399, 7 May 1919, Page 23

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

(From Our Own Cohbespondent.) INYERCARGILL, May 3. The principal event of the past week in Invercargill has been the municipal election for Mayor and councillors. For the mayoral chair the corftestants John Stead, the retiring Mayor, and Mi- T. D. Lonnie, a councillor of 10 years' standing. Mr Lennie held that the office of Mayor should be a rolling one, and many ratepayers agreed with him, but on the other hand there were many who, while agreeing with this principle, thought it fitting that Mr Stead, who has done a lot of strenuous work chu-ing the war, should have the honour of being Mayor during the Peace Celebrations, and he was-.returned by a majority of 107 votes. All the old councillors who stood were returned, Mr John Matheson again topping the poll. The other successful candidates were —Messrs. John F. Lillicrop, J. T. Carswell, John R. Martin, John. Stevenson, John A. Doig, John Miller, S. M. M'Donald, Francis W. Preddy,. William Baird, A. H. Mackroll, E. Sheehan, Turner Smith. Of these Messrs Miller, Mackrell, and Turner Smith have not been civ the council before.. All the labour candidates were defeated. The proposal to borrow ;£35.000 for electrical extensions was .again put to the vote, and this time carried by an overwhelming majority, after having been twice previously defeated. On former occasions scarcely any of the ratepayers took the trouble to go to the poll. This time they were going anyway to vote for Mayor, and having a loan voting paper thrust into their hands found it not too much trouble to make a mark on it and" put it in the ballot box. Chaplain M'Lean, of Knox Church, Invercargill, has returned from the front and will occupy his old pulpit. At Friday's meeting of the Southland Education Board the following appointments were confirmed: —James Wright, solo teacher Roslyn Bush; My 11 Carter, sole teacher Cardxona; -Min-a Gray, temporary sole teacher, G ibbston; Arthur Linn, 'tempoary sol© techer, Quarry Hills; John Fraser, temporary solo teacher, Waikawo, Valley; Ruby Corkhill, first assistant, Lumsdlen; EuniceElder, second assistant, _\Yyndham.j_ Hawton Jackson, second assistant, Nightcaps; Clothilda Macdonald, temporary_ second assistant, Waikaia; Annie Beggs, ninth, assistant, Waihopai; Euhernia Gellatly, assistant, Kapuka; Ethel Beer, temporary assistant, Mabel; Nellie Bowling, temporary assistant, MArnihau; J. Elizabeth Webb, temporary assistant, Mossburn j Jessie Mackay, temporary sole teacher, Wairaki The following resignetiont were accepted:—Vero Rawlins,

tofc idJVcW, BtaJvaJo/ Emily King, flr»v assistant, Xiimekills; Eunio© Elctar, eol« te&cber, M'Keb.

The Invercargill College Board' want engineering workshops erected and the Education Department granted iESOOO for the work. Tenders were called, the successful tender amounted to i!2850, an expenditure whioh the Department will not sanction, • and it has instructed that the work should be done by day labour under the supervision of tiie Southland Education Board'* architect. This decision., is* regarded fay the building trade as unfair-, as they hold that before the job is finished it will coat more than by contract. At lost night's meeting of the Southland Technical College Board Dr Hansen tendered his resignation, owing to having accepted . tlie position of Director of the Christchurclj Technical College. Every member present expressed the opinion that his departure would be a great logs to education in Southland, and it was decided to present hiitf with, an enlarged photograph of the member* oi the Board.

During thia winter most of the Invercargill shops will' close at noon on and 5.30 on all other week dava except Saliu> day.

Ms A. "W. Hoclger, who was nominated bj( the Waianiwa Dairy Factory Company fojf a seat on the Executive of. the South Dairy Association, finds himself unable to accept nomination owing to the large amount of publio business he has on hands-" Mr Rodger is meeting with splendid support in his electrification canvass, and the success of the campaign is regarded as certain. Strong committees" aro being formed in the various centres to make house to house canvassen for users of current..

Mt W. A. Cox, the well-known Kan ana farmer, has sold his farm and intends to live at St. Clair, Dtmedia, in future. On Friday he and Mrs Cox and family were farewelkd by their neighbours and presented with a silver tea service. Mr R. J. Anderson, who presided, spoke of Mr Cox's many years' good work on various public bodies in Southland, and of the very great services rendered to tha district by Mrs. Cox during the recent influenza epidemic. Mr Cox, in responding, said that they very much regretted, lea-ving the district with which they bad been so long connected,, but his health necessitated a, change. Miss Cox was at the same time presented with a. silver jewel case in recognition of her seivices to the Sunday School. Mr Bert Dunlop, ihe well-known blacksmith, was received into the Inveroargill Hospital on Saturday and! died soon after admission. It is supposed that Mr Dunlop died from poison, and an inquest will 1m held.

At the end of the second week of tha Fourth Egg-laying Competition,. Mts O. Thompson leado with 56 eggs. The next best are—C. Thompson, 50; W. K. Hamilton, 41; J. E. Anderson. 35. Very generaj regret will be felt throughout Southland regarding the death of Mr G-. C. Tothill, who spent many years in business here; first as partner to the late J. E. Watson, and later as New Zealand agent for Sutton's seeds. About 10 years ago Mr Tothill removed his business to Clvristchurch, where he has resided ever since. Mr Tothill was a.n exceedingly enterprising and energetio man, and one of the best eaksm&n «ever known in this district.