SOUTHLAND NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3512, 5 July 1921, Page 37

SOUTHLAND NEWS.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) The Southland Power Hoard another step in the direction 0 tc. using down its works when it cuopelled its an»ee rnent with the engineers, Messrs H,.y. an - Vickerman, who drew up the ougmul scheme and had a contract for <he c om pletion of the work. ihe agieeme-. cancelled by mutual consent. MteSifc ) and Vickerman being retained as consulting and supervising engineers ihe pnbheha been well informed over the boards doings since* Mr W- Hinclicy has acted d ch.ii - man-a : marked, contrast Rodger was jtf rammand " Mr Rodger is expected back Lom his tour of England and America nex month. During his stay in L giand --L Rodger attempted totoa^ajou. fo-ved * the board into the present step of cfedi - down. Mr Hinchey, as acting chairman has had a difficult task to perform, but he has created a good nuprcssmii; |nd although the work is . 'S” the there is good feeling existing towards the P cKl2°“Ei»'.ri Brooks, v-ko Pk*,l guilty to an aggravated assault on a gal, was admitted to two vears P IG u . ‘ ’ Q f age alone (17) saving him .from a teim ot imprisonment. The magistrate L • Cruickshanik, in summing up eUonJy con dernned the youth’s conduct and on act fitting him to probation made it a condition that he must not be out after 9 p.n -, and must not attend picture shows duu-» the term William Henry Grant was again remanded on the charge of tI!1 K robbing Ah Chu. who was sldl m hospd I and could not give evidence. ihe offence W ArSritetar° t E™fj<i™enin ß app«™<| before tile '-*«.« *>>' no Friday charged with having recentu £23 12s ' from one David Patterson on terms requiring him to account foi the fi-ime to James Martin Samson (Dunedin), ™mpWr, did haudontly omrt to count for same. Detective. P . cuted and asked for a remand stating that there' were other charges pending amounting to about £7O. The remand was granted bail being fixed at £2OO m two sureties of £l-00 each. . , A storm of unusual violence raged throughout Southland on Thursday niglT , end in some localities the wind attained •dmost hurricane force. The Western DuF t from Riverton to Otautau sustained a great amount of damage ami in some instances the roofs were lifted oft buildings. The telephone and telegraph wires w ev seOonsly 1 affected, and in some instances special ' V gangs were despatched to re-pan The improvement of the Stewart I siand service for tourists has been one of the planks in the Southland League s pio,gramme, and many. schemes have been advocated, even an air service. ilie latest development is the cabling to the Dm» Minister, Mr Massey, . m London, mLm| him to institute inquiries foi a sunab.e boat, and the prospects of acquiring same The bad transport to tne island has nau the effect in the past ot stopping many tourists from visiting that wonderful scenic IC The annual meeting of the Southland League was hold or. Monday when there was a troocl attendance of country representatives. The leairue had during the war years devoted itself to chanty work, and ro ; secl considerable ’sums. Recently it Ims been enpabed in the memorial campaign, and in both instances good work was peiformecl. The league has been gradually working back to its original work,- and an extensive programme has been mapped out for the coming year. It is the intention of the league to issue a comprehensive pamphlet about Southland and its attractions for circulation in the tourist offices throughout the Dominion. With a free hand to devote its energies to the advancement of the province, it is expected that the league will do good work during tne next year. A meeting of the Invercargill Jubilee Celebrations Committee was held on V\ eclnesdttsY, and the various sub-committees reported upon the progress made. _ It was decided to add another concert, in which the old identities will provide part of the proevarnme. It- v/ae original y intended to hold a big citizens’ ball, but some diflicultv has arisen over a suitable liall. It is now proposed to provide a special cluldren’s day instead c.f the ball, at which a programme of Maori dances and hakas will be et io-ed for ihe benefit ot the children. Another addition to the original programme will be a monster procession on the _V\ edntsday afternoon, when it is proposed to declare a -special half-holiday. The work of the various committees is well advanced, and everything points to a successful celebration. . , , . c a ~ , , When advocating ihe claims ot bouthlaud for a resident health officer at the City Council meeting, one of the councillors made, a statement that diphtheria had broken out in Southland. Inquiries made at the local Health Office elicited the mformation that only two families were affected with that disease in Southland, the total number of cases being eight. The erection of a new Bovs Hi fill »_ chool )j«jg been under consideration L) y tne oout.ilend High Schools’ Board for many months, and it. is reported that the board IS now in a. position to go ahead with the nolle as soon as the plans and specifications bar e been approved by the department. When the erection of the school was first- proposed it was arranged that the present school and grounds should be handed over to the department for £15,000. A\ ith the Sffinds now in hand, and a sum which lias been arranged for on loan, the board lias sufficient money to warrant it . going on with the erection of the new building. It is expected that everything will be in readiness for a start to be made on the new building in the spring. The new school will be erected on the Collegiate Rosen e, Gladstone.. . * An accident, which terminated fatally, occurred at. Bluff on Tuesday during the loading of the Westralia. While timber was being taken aboard a sling broke, and one of the workers named Alexander Callender was struck by some of the falling timbers, and knocked out of the truck in which he was working. He was conveyed to the Southland Hospital, where he died from his injuries during the afternoon. An inquest nas opened, and some of the witnesses who

were aboard the Westralia gave evidence, after which the coroner adjourned the proceedings. The borough estimates are now almost prepared, and a special meeting of the Town Council will consider them next week. An innovation will be the provision of “renewal funds” in the various trading departments, and they will make an extra call of something like £7OOO or £BOOO on the revenue. It is understood that there is a possibility of a slight increase in the rates.