SOUTHLAND TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3804, 8 February 1927, Page 33

SOUTHLAND TOPICS.

(From Our Own Cobresi ""jdent.) INVERCARGILL. February 5. Apparently someone in the Government Tourist Service committed a blunder through which Southland has lost an opportunity to advertise her tourist resorts which may not occur again, and which was most certainly the best opportunity for publicity which has yet been offered. This blunder occurred in connection with the party of eminent Australian medicos who came over on the Moeraki to attend the Medical Conference at present being held in Dunedin. Some 40 of the doctors had arranged with the Tourist Department that they should be landed at Milford Sound anil should travel overland to the head of Lake Te Anau and journey down the lake byspecial boat. The Moeraki arrived s-’t Milford Sound at 9.52 on Sunday morning and the medicos who were lining the decks in eager anticipation of a walk through some' of the most delightful scenery in the world, prepared to disembark. No boat came out to take them off, however, although the Moeraki remained in the sound till 1 p.m., the siren being sounded continuously. In addition rockets were set off, and the signals must have been heard for miles around. Finally the vessel sailed, taking with her 40 veryexasperated and heartily disgruntled medicos whose references to the Tourist Department were, according to other passengers, highly uncomplimentary. Locally very great dissatisfaction is being felt concerning this most regrettable mistake, resulted in such cavalier treatment of the distinguished visitors, whose approbation would have been an invaluable advertisement for Southland. The Southland League has telegraphed the Hon. Minister for Tourist Resorts as follows: —“Strong public comment here through the failure of the Tourist Department to make satisfactory’ arrangements for landing the medical party at Milford Sound. The Southland League regrets that such a splendid opportunity- for advertising southern scenery among an influential body of men was lost.” The Southland League itself is, however, not exempt from criticism in the matter, because, although most of the C j C rr° r3 rema ’ n ed in Invercargill for most of Tuesday- after arriving here from Bluff, no organised attempt was made to enterthem, n or was any endeavour made to show them the country or the resources of the province. Early in the day a local lady, acting on her own initiative, obtained the loan of a car, and a small party of the doctors was taken for a drive round the town, a short distance into the surrounding country, and to the Oreti Beach. The visitors were very favourably impressed with .the beach, and remarked on the fact that it was within so short a distance of the town. The Oreti Beach, by the way, proved a haven of refuge for Invercargill residents during the hot, sultry weather which has prevailed here for some time past. Last Sunday the beach was crowded from morning till night with happy holiday-makers, who arrived in streams of cars, of which there were at one time no less than 176 on the beach. Many of -he people, having got into their bathing suits as soon as they arrived, kept them on all day, bathing alterln the water and the hot rays of T e s . ln ’ At one time it was estimated that there were between t>uO and 600 people in the water. Naturally all Southlanders are keenly interested in the Sanders Cup contest, which is being held at Lyttelton this year, more especially since a new boat, Murihiku 11, has b een built for the Stewart Island Yacht Club, and will represent Southland in the place of its veteran namesake, in which the Southland crews so nearly gained the victory on more than one occasion. The new boat, of course, resembles the old Murib*bu in appearance, but is of more modern design, and appeared at the trials to be much faster, although the yachting enthusiasts are of the opinion that if the older boat had had weather to suit her at the earlier Sanders Cup contests she would have proved a winner. On Wednesday afternoon a very large crowd assembled at the estuary to witness the trials between the two boats. The trials were held under almost ideal conditions, a pleasant breeze springing up from the south-west. The course was set in the channel, a straight run from the wharf to number three beacon, three times round. Murihiku II took the lead fairly early in the race, and held it steadily until the two boats turned to beat back, when the old boat came up well, showing unexpected dash. Murihiku II was first round in the turn, and racing away again, soon secured a good lead. She was apparently riding much higher than the older boat, and was moving more gracefully. Mr C. Hansen was in charge of the new boat, and was assisted by Messrs R. Gough and J. Sutton. Murihiku was sailed bv Messrs Stirling, . Tressider, and J. Gough. The crow which will man Murihiku II in the Sanders cup is as follows: Messrs Carl Hansen (skipper), H. Hansen (spinnaker), B. Johnston, H. Pollock, and J. Phillips. The Southland crew for tho Cornwall Cup is R. Bragg and J. Phillips. All these men come from Stewart Island, and have been practising for some time. Murihiku II is a sister boat of the Rona, Avalon, and Queen March. On Tuesday the annual conference of the New Zealand Federation of Master Painters’. Decorators’, and Si-mwriters’ Associations of Employers was opened in Smith’s Hall, there being present delegates from all parts of the Dominion. The conference was officially opened by his Worship the Mayor of Invercargill (Mr Andrew Bain), who welcomed the delegates. Tuesday was occupied with the discussion of remits of trade interest, and in the evening a lecture on “Scaffolding Regulations” was delivered bv Mr E. G. St.ri nger. senior inspector of scaffolding. On Wednesday a large number of remits were dealt with, and the business concluded. A smoke concert was held in the evening, and on Thursday the visiting delegates were the guests of the Invercargill Association . on. a motor tour through the western district, which took them through some of the finest land and most beautiful scenery in Southland. On Thursday a field day was held at Morton Mains when Mr M'Gillivray, the Government Field Instructor in Southland, weighed and examined the various plots in the experimental top-dressing area, first laid down by the Morton Mains branch of

the New Zealand Farmers’ Union in 192 a, iho plots were laid out in June of that year, tne land chosen being particularly bad and only fit for the plough. Mr M'Gillivray wishing to demonstrate" what could be done with very poor pasture. Tho niT/i 0 cx P Grl mentation was as follows: (1) 44/6 superphosphate, 2cwt per acre; Nauru phosphate, lewt per acre; sulphate of ammonia, |cwt per acre; (2) 44/6 superphosphate, 3cwt per acre; (3) 44/6 superphosphate, 3cwt per acre; carbonate of lime. 1 ton per acre. These plots were repeated with several intervening plots for control purposes. The fertilisers were this iao-° n a PPhed m July, and in addition in 1920 another experiment was started to try out various phosphates along with hi-h grade superphosphates. The phosphates were superphosphate, basic slag, Nauru, Euphos, and Seychelles. The improvement as a result of this top-dressing was wonderful, the growth having been intensified to a considerable extent. After the ground had been inspected Mr M'Gillivray addressed the very large number of farmers present, and emphasised the value of topdressing on land which had not. like this, previously been allowed to go to rack and ruin. Good pastures were, he said, verv necessary for fat stock, for which there would be a very great demand in Southland for export. Several other speakers also addressed the gathering, which was most successful from all points of view. A very large number of employees in the Railway Workshops attended a "meeting at the workshops during the lunch hour on Wednesday, at which it was decided to protest against the dismissal of six members of the staff of the workshops. The meeting was most orderly, and the following resolutions were carried unanimously, and it was decided to forward them to the actinsrMinister of Railways:—‘"That this meeting of railway and other workers in Invercargill, while commending all attempts at economy in national administration, respectfully urge that retrenchment should begin in the more expensive and higher salaried branches of the service, rather than in the ranks of the workers whose retention is more than justified by the value of their, work. We would point out that' the dismissal of married workmen at the same time as preparations are being made for a royal holiday regardless of cost cannot be justified. We protest at this deliberate addition to unemployment by the Government, which at the same time burdens the public revenue with the cost of bringing assisted immigrants to the Dominion in thousands. We emphatically protest against the dismissal notified or contemplated in this. district, call for their withdrawal, and urge the Southland Members of Parliament to support this resolution in the proper quarter.’ “That this mpeting of workshop employees strongly protests against the breaking of the Hon. J. G. Coates’s promise ‘that there would be no reduction of staff.’ and urge that his promise to tho men be kept.”