SOUTHLAND TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3861, 13 March 1928, Page 35

SOUTHLAND TOPICS.

(From Ooh Own Correspondent.) INVERCARGILL, March 10. While Slim Jim writes to the papers complaining that farmers are being rollbed without violence by the middlemen, the majority of those on the land have been busy harvesting or collecting their wool cheques. According to the statistics recently gazetted, Southland heads the list both for wheat aud oats in the estimated yield per acre for the 1927-28 season. Whether the actual returns will still keep Southland at the top remains to be seen, but the season certainly promises to be an excellent one. The second wool sale, which was held last Saturday evening, did not cast a gloom over the community. In fact, the wonderful prices realised almost made the primary producer and his much maligned town cousin feel like brothers, for a few hours at any rate. Over 10,000 jieople saw the motor races on Invercargffi’s wonderful beach last • Saturday, and at least £500,000 worth of motor cars stood on the sands while their owners watched the thrills. The racin'* was excellent, and there were no bad accfdents, though to relieve any monotony an Austin car burst into’flames, and had to be driven into the Pacific to have the flames quenched. It is to be hoped that the races do not imbue more private owners with a craze for excessive speed. There are already quite enough speed fiends on Southland roads without augmentation to their numbers. The entire police force of Invercargill has been busy for weeks trying to run to earth the thieves who were taking toll of so many business men’s cycles. Despite all investigations and precautions, machines continued to disappear, and no fewer than 28 were reported missing. This week, however, the mystery has been solved, and the criminal has been found in a child five years of age. Evidently the little chap had a great desire to hoard up bicycles, and had wheeled 28 from off the streets into an old shed in the heart of the town. There, no doubt, he would stand and gloat over his wonderful collection, like a miser over his gold. It looks as if Invercargill is going to experience difficulty in securing a town clerk. In view of the recent disclosures, this is perhaps not surprising, for the methods of the city fathers are hard to understand. Two refusals have been met with from those selected for the honour. Perhaps the third time may be lucky. One of the biggest gatherings Tuatapere has seen for a long time assembled to bid farewell to Dr Gillies ami her sister last Thursday. The doctor during her four years’ residence at Tuatapere had won a warm place in the affection of the people of the district, and the tributes paid to her by many speakers at Thursdays function were as sincere as they were glowing. Dr Dodds, late house surgeon at the Southland Hospital, succeeds Dr Gillies. Motorists dashing over the road not infrequently kill a few sheep, and have to pay for their negligence. Seldom does it occur that a railway engine is the instrument of destruction. At Ringway the other day a big flock of sheep was crossing the line when a goods train came along, and, despite being braked, struck the sheep and tossed them about in all directions. It was surprising that onlv two were killed. Several others had limbs broken or bruises inflicted. Ou Tuesday morning Wyndham had an unusual experience—an outbreak of fire. The premises occupied by Mr James Burns, wool and skin merchant, were well alight when the alarm was given, and, despite the valiant efforts of a bucket brigade—there is do regular brigade in Wyndham,—the building was destroyed. It took the fire-fighters all their time to prevent the neighbouring premises from being burnt down.

At Winter Show time last year all Invercargill threw' aside dull care and joined in the delights of May Fair Week. 1 or this year a much more ambitious carnival has been planned, and the whole province has been invited to join in- the revelry, and. judging from the results of a canvass by the Central Executive, it looks as if each district will have its representatives in the big historic pageant that is going to be the chief feature of the week. Bowlers in Southland had a field day on Wednesday. At Invercargill the champion of champions singles tourney was played, the centre president. N. M'Gorlick of Bluff, winning after a close final with last year's winner, D. 11. Thomson. AVhile the Southland Centre's champions were perspiring in Invercargill, their eastern district colleagues were playing hard at Gore. The singles was won by Preece an< i the doubles by Buchanan and Calder, of Ma'taura. ■ Bluff, after recovering from the excitement attendant upon the arrival of the first oysters of the season, had another thrill on Wednesday. The C. and D. st earner Port Hunter, when being piloted into the main wharf, encountered a strong gust of wind, which caused her to slew round and strike the wharf a good blow. The vessel was not damaged, but the wharf was. There are some queer folk in the world. A rabbiter the other day was charged in. the Police Court with cruelty to animals in-that he skinned a rabbit without killing it, the poor anirnad runn : ng into a burrow some 30 yards awav. The offender was convicted and fined‘£s, despite the fact that he vigorously denied having committed the cruel act. Eels are often privileged to appeal- in print. Last year a controversy was carried on in the local paners concerning the breeding grounds of eels. Now the theory has been advanced that eels are cannibals. for a small eel was found embedded in the abdomen of a larger specimen. A girl swimmer, while not going so far as to proclaim them cann ; Lals. can vouch for the fact that they bite, for a 3ft eel grabbed her fingers and lacerated them severely. Several Ministers of the Crown have been in the district this week, and have listened to the usual number of requests from unsettled settlers, returning the usual non-committal answers. Unemployment is going, to be a serious problem in Southland this winter, judging from present indications. There are 100 men registered at present with the Government Labour Bureau, aud each week the number grows. The secretary of the Southland Hospital Board., who is kept

closely in touch with the position through assisting the families of out-of-work breadwinners, is anything but cheerful regarding the distress likely to arise in the, coming months. The season for summer sports is rapidly’ drawing to a close. The Otago-Southlan’d cricket match, played at Invercargill durin.S the week, is the last of the representative fixtures. The tennis representative team has still another match—that against North Otago, at Dunedin, next Saturday. During Laster football will commence, some visiting teams being due to try conclusions with local teams. The annual meetings of the varous clubs will shortly be held. Golfers will also soon be i-egu-larly oil the links again.