SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3414, 20 August 1919, Page 27

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

(Fbom Oub Own Cobbespondbnt.) INVERCARGILL, August 16. During the past week the Railway Department has made a few small concessions, ono goods train each per week being allowed to Waikaia, Waikalca, and Hedgehope. The department has not accepted the offer of the Invercargill Chamber of Commerce to secure it 60 tons of coal per week, but has apparently gone , to the sources of supply, the mines in the Wairio distriot, and obtained supplies for itself, the Mossbank Coal Company having supplied 30 tons during the past week and Smith's Wairio Colliery a similar quantity. As the Chamber of Commerce's offer was conditional _on an improved service for Southland, it looks as if the department has got the best of the Chamber in this matter. In answer to a telegram from the Hon. A. F. Hawke, the Minister of Railways promises an improved service as soon as expected supplies of coal are secured. It is probable that the movement to have the Government buy the Southland Acclimatisation Society's reserve at Waikiwi for workers' homes and a recreation ground Is likely to be successful, as it has not only the support of the Invercargill Borough Council, but also of Sir Joseph Ward and the Hois. J. A. Hanan and A. F. Hawko. Atkinson's billiard saloon in Esk street was raided by' the police on Tuesday last, and evidence of gambling found. As a result William Atkinson and William Ratcliffe were yesterday charged at the Police Court, Atkinson with using the billiard saloon as ajominoa gambling house and Ratcliffo >vH assisting him. The evidence, however, showed that Ratcliffe was the chief offender, and he was fined £SO and Atkinson £lO. The report of Dr Wilkins, medical inspector of schools for Southland, shows that nearly all the children have decaying teeth. The doctor emphasises the fact that bad teeth are directly or indirectly the cause of all diseases. Dental decay can easily be prevented, and the doctor calls on the parents and Government of New Zealand to set about "taking the necessary measures without delay. A good deal of anxiety was felt at Stewart Island early in the week regarding the fate of five men who left Halfmoon Bay on the previous Thursday for Ruggedy, a bay to the north of Mason's Bay, on the west side of the island. One boat left Halfmoon Bay on Tuesday to search, for the men, and another followed on Wednesday. It turned out, however, that bad weather had forced the party to put into Mason's Bay for shelter, and they returned to Halfmoon Bay without mishap on Thursday. Mr F. M. Ritchie, who has been manager for the New Zealand Express Company in Invercargill during the past five .years, has resigned the position with a_ view to starting in business for himself in Auckland, where he is well known. Yesterday Mr Ritchie was entertained by a gathering of Invercargill business men and presented with a case .of pipes in recognition of his unvarying courtesy in .business and his good work', in connection with patnotio functions. Mr Ritchie will be missed by the local Association footballers, as he was one of their best full backs. . The shortage of houses in Invercargill is leading to a great deal of hardship, people who have bought houses being unable to enter into possession because of the ■ unwillingness of tenants to leave. In the Magistrate's Court, Invercargill, on Tuesday Mr W. ;R. Mabson claimed possession of a house in Crinan street, rented by Mr Howard Foster. The plaintiff said that he had notified Mr Foster that as he had sold the house in which he (Mabson) was living, he would require the one in which Foster was living for himself, and that Foster had raised no objection. Hc*however, had since declined to leave the house, as he could not get another one, and Mabson thereupon sued him for possession on the ground that his rent was in arrears, though Foster held that Mabson dodged receiving the rent It turned out, however, that the writ had been sent by registered letter, which Avas returned through the post unopened, and the magistrate ruled that the writ had not been served, and non-suited the plaintiff. For many years past there has been a great deal of dissatisfaction with the means of access to Stewart Island, the Bluff Harbour Board's tug Theresa Ward having been built for towage work and not for passenger accommodation. Many proposals have been made, but nothing has come of them. A movement is now on foot, however, which should have the desired effect. A petition to Parliament is in course of being signed asking the Government for a subsidy equal to a. rate of 5 per cent, per annum on the cost of a suitable boat which the Bluff Harbour Board would undertake to provide. As the movement has tho support of the Invercargill Borough Council and the Southland League, and, as a'matter of course, of the thousands of people who visit or wish to visit the island, it should have a good chance of success. At Thursday's meeting of the Invercargill Boroujrh Council the question of Wednesday or Saturday for the weekly halfholiday was discussed, and it was decided to stick to Wednesday, i Whenever a good theatrical performance is announced fn Invercargill there is a frantic rush for .tickets, and travelling companies have taken advantage of the opportunity to charge" high prices, and'on a good many occasions have charged higher rates than those advertised. To guard against the possibility of this happening in future the corporation has decided" to require any lessee to bind himself not to charge higher prices than those advertised, and reserves the right to refuse to let the theatre to any company offending against this clause.