SOUTHLAND NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3475, 19 October 1920, Page 37

SOUTHLAND NEWS.

(From Ode Own C.obbespondent.) INVERCARGILL, October 16. Hitherto' for some years past the musical event of Invercargill has been the recital by First Church Choir. This year, how* ever, the event of the season has been pro!" . vided by the invercargill Male ,Choir, consisting of 23 tenors and 22 basses. This body, like First Church Choir, has been trained by Mr Win. Quinn, though during that gentleman's absence on a business and: " pleasure trip to Java and the Straits,Settlements, Mr J. E. Taylor, the well known basso, wielded the baton. The Male'Choir, after about eight months assiduous prae* tice, gave its concert on Thursday evening] * at the Municipal Theatre, and' was rewarded with a full house. Indeed, so great was the sale of tickets that many holders were un- i able to gain admittance .to the theatre and the concert had to be repeated in the Vie- ; toria Hall on Friday evening, when the hail was well filled. Like other concerts got up by Mr Quinn, this performance was a great artistic success, land it was also a great success from a financial point of view, so that' the choir will now be able to secure a good supply of music. For the concert just given' 1 a good deal of the music was lent by the Auckland Male Choir and First dtturchi Choir, Invercargill. Most of the practices of the choir have been held in the Orphans*. Club rooms, in the Arcade, but for the final rehearsals the choir had the use of the Salvation Army Hall in Tay street, arid the. choir, appreciating- the kindness of the Army in the matter, are tendering that body a complimentary concert next week. It » . also probable that the choir will, in response to requests, give a concert at Winton towards the close of the month.

Quite an important" development in the business life of Invercargill. took place this week in the opening of a stock' exchange for the town. We have always had our % complement of sharebrokers, and 20 yeanr ago, when the Preservation Reefs were being profitably worked and dividends were' frequent, a great deal of business was dona by these gentlemen. During recent yeari a large part of the brokerage on Southlanders' speculations and investments has gone to outside brokers. To conserve.this and facilitate- share transactions, the local brokers have taken premises in the Union Bank buildings, and have formed the firsfc Invercargill Stock Exchange, with a membership of 10. The. exchange was formally opened on Thursday morning, when the call- : over resulted in sales of several lines oE ' debentures. In future the exchange will open for business each Monday and Thursday morning. The foundation members*ol the Invercargjll Stock Exchange are Messrs J. T. CarswMl. W. Cars well, R., B. Gawk D. Cuthbertson., B. Pell, W. A. Ott, A. W Jones. D. M. Scandrett, F. H. Tucker, and F. H. Watson. The Invercargill Borough Council is about'' ,/ to submit to the ratepayers a proposal, for borrowing the large "sum of £234,000; . £25,000 for gas works improvements, £25,C00 for tramways, £50,000 for electricity reticulation, £50,000 for sewerage, roads, and a small amount for reclamation. '• A poll on the questions will be held at an early date. A freezer at Stewart Island has been a long-felt want, and many a good catch of fish has gone bad for want of such a convenience. Now, 'however, a recently-formed Invercargill company has installed an up-to-date freezing plant near the Halfmoon Bay jetty, and before long provision will alsa be made for' working up fish "offal into manure. A small fish-canning plant has been in operation at.Leask's Bay for aboufc \ two years, and is turning out a very good line of tinned fish. The Electricity Committee of the Invercargill Borough Council is objecting to several clauses in "The Electrio 'Power Boards Amendment Bill, 1920." They object to a chairman's honorarium exceeding | £SOO a year, and they also object to travel-1? ling expenses outside New Zealand, and ' to the-board's beinrjable to levy rates.by resolution. ■ , The Southland Anglers' Club are trying to arrange for three fishing competitions. this year —the usual open competition on Labours Day, a triangular competition between the Southland, Wyndham, and Mataura Clubi, and also a competition on the Oreti between the Southland, Winton, Dipton, and Lumsden Clubs. Mr Hugh Smith, chairman of directors of the Southland Farmers' Co-operative! Company, is announced as a candidate for a seat on the Southland Education Board. Two Southland farmers are said to be receiving 2d and 3d respectively as their shares of the surplus wool profits. Mr Frederick Bowden,' fruiterer, of Invercargill, has had a very unfortunate experience over the purchase of a motor car. He bought it from a returned soldier, and paid' for it, but now finds that to retain it he must how pay £l7O to the Repatriation Board, as the Board had advanced that sum to' the soldier under a bill of sale on the car. Needless to say the soldier has disappeared. For a long time past the Invercargill ■• Chamber of Commerce has been endeavouring to get direct shipping to Bluff, and is now in a position to announce that the Woodarra will call at our port next month, this being the first direct shipping since the war. Tke Chamber of Commerce do not intend to rest at this, but will continue their efforts for regular direct shipping. The Southland rivers during the past week have for the most part been low. and clear, but the recent rains will result in a great no doubt with corresponding baskets. Fishing during the week has been decidedly poor. The Commissioner of Taxes announces that the Land Tax is payable on Monday, November 8. At Wyndham last week a man . named M'lvor was fined £7 10s and costs for killing possums at the Upper - Mokoreta. The police evidence was to the effect that poaching was very general, and something shoutd Be done to put a stop to it.