SOUTHLAND NEWS

Otago Witness, Issue 3614, 19 June 1923, Page 26

SOUTHLAND NEWS

(From Guk Own Cosulspondent.: INVERCARGILL, June 16. Another bid has been made by iiivercargdl to obtain an adequate express service. -A meeting of representatives ct tin: local booies interested in the matter was held last Thursday afternoon under the auspices of the Invercargill Chamber of Commerce. Mr A. le H. Hoyles presided over a large attendance. The foliowing motion was passed: “That this conference expresses great dissatisfaction with the existing railway facilities, and asks that in addition to the present express passenger service an extra afternoon express from Invercargill to Dunedin and a morning express between Dunedin and Invercargill on Tuesdays, -Thursdays and .Saturdays be run, such addition to take place before August 1 next; also that the question of a daily through express service to Lyttelton be given serious consideration by the laepartment.” A special meeting of the Council of the Southland Acclimatisation Society was held on Wednesday to consider a report from Ranger Evans on the securing of ova from the j e Anau district. Mr A. H. Stock presided. The ranger reported having proceeded to ie Anau with the curator, and having constructed an eyeing sation at the Government Hatchery. The chairman outlined a scheme for stocking all tho main streams of Southland with ova. ihe monthly meeting of the Southland Electric Power Board was held on Wednesday, Mi A. W. Rodger presiding. All the members, with the exception of the Hon. A. F. Hawke, who sent in an apology for non-attendance, were present. In most respects tile meeting was a disappointment, as most of the members appeared cautious and unwilling to touch upon matters of major importance. The all-important matter of policy was merely skirted, and the matter of tlie chairman’s salary was left over till the next meeting. A standing committee, comprising Messrs A. YV. Rodger, T. Fraser, A. Hamilton, J. Macalister, A. le 11. Hoyle and A. F. Hawke was formed. On Tuesday Mr G. Ctuickshank, S.M., gave his reserved judgment in the case of the appeal against tlie returning of John Mitchell as Mayor of South Invercargill. The vote 3 of certain persons not qualified to vote were disallowed, and certain allegedly informal votes were counted. This left Mr Mitchell with 484 votes and Mr M‘Chesney with 488 votes. Air M'Chesney was duly elected Mayor. Tho next meeting of the South Invercargill Borough Council is looked forward to with some interest. A Government hatchery has been erected on the Upukerora River during the past week, and work has already commenced on the Atlantic salmon which have already started to run from the sea. To date some 25,000 ova have been put down at the hatchery, but the full flush of fish has not yet arrived. It is expected that within three weeks the salmon will be coming up in large numbers, and the work will greatly increase. Tho Southland Acclimatisation Society is working in conduction with the Government officials, and it hopes to get all the brown trout ova required for the coming season from the traps laid in the Upukerora for salmon. At present the trout coming tip are not fit for stripping, but will be ready when the salmon are fully o:i the run. Mr R. B. Tennent, Agricultural Instructor for Otago and Southland, arrived, in Invercargill on Tuesday, and proceeded to YVinton on the following day to lecture to a gathering' of Thornbury farmers at the YVinton experimental farm. Mr Tennent gave an interesting address on the use of lime in pasture land, and personally conducted the visitors round the various experimental nlots at the farm. The gathering was arranged by the Thornbury branch of the Farmers’ Union. Mr Tennent also delivered lectures at the Borstal Farm at M-itanra. A meeting of the creditors in the estate of Alfred Stephen Archer, ex-hotelkeeper, of Bluff, was held cn Monday in Invercargill. Bankrupt’s statement showed the amount owing to unsecured creditors at £526, while the assets totalled £lls. The principal creditors were Thompson and Co., of Invercargill, £271. A well known and popular resident of Invercargill, Mr Walter Smith, passed away on vieunt-stiav at the age of 67 years. The late Mr Smith was a fine all-round athlete in his day and was chosen to represent his province 111 louioait unu cricket. He was, perhaps one of the best amateur actors that Invarcargill has produced, and as a member of the Amateur Operatic Society he scored many notable successes in Gilbert and Sullivan productions. He was also known as the possessor of a fine singing voice. By profession he was an accountant, and for tlie last fifteen years of Iris life he was in the employ of Messrs Lewis and Co. Deceased was a married man, and is survived by a wife and three children. ihe fortnightly meeting of the Invercargill Borough Council was held on Juesdav, the Mayor, Mr A. Bain, presiding. Tlie item of debate was the application of the Library Committee for a grant of £2OO as in previous years. After a somewhat heated argument it was decided to take away the grant. 'The YVednesday half holiday came into force last week. A considerable surprise was created in the first Wednesday football round, when MuVist played .a brilliant game and defeated the previous champions. Star, who had their strongest team out, by 11 points to 6. The win was very popular. On the same day YVinton defeated Invercar- - o ' is to 1?-. In common with ether parts of the Western District the potato crops near Te Tim and 'le YYae Wire are this year disapj pointing both as regards quantity and quality. J At the latter place the avi yield per 1 acre has fallen to three tons, and it is j considered that about 100 i<would clean the whole district. Remarkable sue.-ess has attemh d the experiment of Messrs F. It. and -\. F. Christie, farmers, Mataura Island, in the cultivation of < Itnu-moeliier for autumn and winter stock feeding. From a sowing over a four acre plot the yield was 40 tons to the acre. Tho cnlilo eat the whole of the plant with avidity, the stalks as well as the leaves. Some samples were sft 6in in height. The c om was grown on a piece of land previously I son u with turnips, which proved blight j ridden, but no blight whatever lias been j detected with the chcu-moellier. A summary of the receipts and expenditure of tho Invercargill Borough for the year 1923-24 has jusr been issued. The estimated receipts amount to £190,722 and ihe exde.nditure fo £179,862. Mr YV. A. Sproat. lnvuirmw of the Waihopai School, Invoi-cvg’’, received notice of his appointment fo He position or headmaster of the Forbur • K bod, Dunedin, lie will leave Invaimi£- 1 to take up hia new duties at the bnifinnv og cl July.