SOUTHLAND TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3882, 7 August 1928, Page 35

SOUTHLAND TOPICS.

(From Oub Own Correspondent.) INVERCARGILL, August 5. Mushrooms are to' be found in Southland paddocks despite the fact that we have only entered upon the month of August. What better testimony could be desired to the mildness of the Southland’s winter, not to mention the fertility of the fields? There is no doubt about their being mushrooms. They looked like mushrooms, they tasted like mushrooms, and those who ate them are still alive.

For queer councils Invercargill needs to yield the palm or the bun to no others in the world. I believe it was the South Invercargill Council which first caught the bug here. Then they infected the Invercargill Borough Council, which has been unable to shake off the germ, and which has now re-infected the lesser luminary. At any rate there is an impasse in the affairs of the South Invercargill Council, for the Mayor resigned some months ago when the amalgamation of a portion of the borough disqualified him from office. None of the councillors will don the Mayoral robes, which will be the target for a lot of mud, they fear. Invercargill has a Mayor, and at Tuesday’s meeting of the council he proved a very autocratic gentleman. Councillor O’Byrne’s motion to rescind the resolution terminating the engagement of the town engineer, Mr E. A. Gumbley, was expected to come before the council, and some fiery speeches, and possibly a reversal of the previous decision, were quite on the cards. Although the motion was on the order paper, the Mayor refused to accept it on a technical point, so that the town is still minus an engineer. Strong criticism was levelled at the Mayor for his attitude, one councillor characterising it as astute, but unfair.

Contests for the Baird Cup between the Western and Central Rugby representatives always prove exciting, and Otautau enthusiasts were not disappointed in this year's challenge match, which was played on their picturesque ground last Saturday. The game ended in a draw, which means that Western retains the cup. While the country tear:. vere playing a surprise was being enacted at Rugby Park, when Pirates went down to Invercargill 18 to 20 in a game in which the victors had much the better of matters. As Star accounted for Southern on the other ground, it looks as if last year’s premiers will find it hard to repeat their performance of 1927. The sub-union team which plays North Otago and mid-Canter-bury and then tours the West Coast left Invercargill by Thursday’s express. It plays its first match to-day, at Oamaru. A Southlander who returned last week after three years abroad, informed me that the finest publicity New Zealand’s scenery was receiving in England was through the Christmas numbers of such papers as the Otago Witness. In all his travels he had seen no illustrated paper to surpass the New Zealand Christmas productions.

Theatre goers in Invercargill have not been able to complain lately of neglect. Miss Daisy Hall and Mr William Heughan have been popular singers, and Mr Alfred O’Shea is coming next week. Then on two nights this week the Royal Comic Opera Company has played to excellent houses.

A supplementary report of the Bluff Harbour Board makes interesting reading from a farmer’s point of view as showing the productivity of the province. In 1927 £806,501 worth of cheese was exported as against £667,895 in 1926. The respective figures for wool were £682,406 and £546,123, and for frozen lamb £336,039 and £356,579. The total value of exports was for 1927 £2.422,856, and for 1926 £2,041,693.

Evidently Gore laughed itself out during carnival week last year, for the enthusiasm shown for this year’s projected gaiety gala has been so lukewarm that the committee has decided to abandon the idea. It is possible, however, that this may be merely a strategic move to reawaken interest.

Ayrshire breeders from all over Otago and Southland were in Pukerau on Wednesday, when close on 100 purebred Ayrshires from Mr G. Herron’s famous Green Park herd were submitted to auction. The sale was a satisfactory one, though for the most part purchasers could congratulate themselves on the bargains they secured. The top price was 49gns for that great producer, Green Park Fleckie. The famous sire, Green Park Rising Star, so frequently a champion in New Zealand prize rings, brought the modest sum of 40gns, Mr J.'H. M'Math, of Balfour, being the fortunate bidder. The cattle sold averaged just over 15gns a' head, the aggregate sum being £1328 for the 87 head disposed of. Ladies’ hockey and ladies’ basket ball are thriving in Southland, and within the next few weeks representative teams in both these sports will be striving for Dominion honours. The basket ball team has to travel to Auckland for the tournament, and the hockey team to Timaru.