SOUTHLAND TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3958, 21 January 1930, Page 33

SOUTHLAND TOPICS.

(From Oub Own Correspondent.) A CHANGE FOR THE BETTER. INVERCARGILL. January 18. Hot summer weather has at last arrived, and both townspeople and farmers are devoutly thankful. There have been six bright sunny days this week, and a welcome fall of rain on Friday, so everything in the garden is lovely. Those who are still out camping will be able to forget the damp, drear days. Those working in town have been able to rush to Oreti Beach in the evenings to cool down. The backbone of the country has been able to get back to work. Shearing, so much delayed through the wet weather, has proceeded apace. Winter crops, which normally would have been sown in December, are now being put in feverishly. Very soon the harvesting season will be here, and it is gratifying to be able to report prospects of many excellent crops. WOOL. One result of the good weather has been great activity in the local wool stores. Until this week very little wool had been received, but it is now pouring in in anticipation of the wool sale at the end of the month. The wool coining in is stated to be not as "bright as last year, but is otherwise in excellent condition Too much praise cannot be bestowed on Southland sheep farmers for the attention they have paid in recent years to breeding and to feeding on sound lines. The result is seen in the excellent way the fat lambs are killing out this year. Breeding for the correct type of carcase has made a tremendous difference to the way the lambs are weighing and grading, and a larger number of prime quality lambs are being received at the works each year. When seven or eight years ago the freezing works in Southland opened in February comparatively few lambs were received oil their mothers. A very different state of affairs obtains to-day. Opening early in January, the three works must put through 200,000 naturally fattened lambs by the end of February, and it is lambs off their mothers that pay the farmer best. 'The large amount of top-dressing that has been undertaken, coupled with better breeding, is responsible for the steady improvement. Probably (>OO.OOO lambs will be killed this season in Southland. CLOSER SETTLEMENT. The Tamatea Settlement, a block of 977 acres subdivided into seven sections, was balloted for this week. This was the first step in Southland of the local settlement policy of the United Party, which promised so much in this direction. For the seven sections 21 applications from seven applicants were received, and five of the sections were allotted. This very poor response is causing supporters of the Government to wrack their brains to find excuses for the comparative failure of the attempt to satisfy the (alleged) great land hunger. At the same time it affords critics of the United Party a glorious opportunity for attack, as no matter from what aspect the attempt at closer settlement is approached. the Government seems to have blundered.

THE LINTON MINE.

All is not quiet in the Linton mine. Since the report of the Commission which inquired into the disaster in November new regulations have been in force regarding shot-firing. The miners complain that under the new regulations it is impossible for them to earn the minimum wage. _ Apparently they have given it a fair trial, but have failed to earn enough. Deputations have waited on the mine owners. Now the matter is being taken up with Mr Adam Hamilton, AI.P., who is to be asked to support an application to the Minister of Alines for some modifications of the regulations.

MORE ACCIDENTS.

This has been another bad week •'or deaths by accident in Southland. On one morning no fewer than four such tragedies were contained in the death notices in the newspapers. A young man named Charles Gray dived into shallow water near the rowing sheds at Riverton, and died shortly after admittance to hospital from spinal injuries. Riverton was the scene of another tragedy when a 10-year-old boy named Gerald C'osgritf, whose parents reside in Nightcaps, was killed through a fall from a horse. A motor fatality at Dane resulted in the death of an elderly woman. Airs Turner, of Fairfax. Iler daughter was driving a car along the main road when it overturned in loose gravel. At Tuatapere the body of an old man named Patrick Alulligan was found in a ditch in a decomposed state. Death had ,apparently taken place some months previously.

A TIMELY RESCUE

There might well have been another tragedy to add to the list had it not been for the prompt and plucky action of an 11-year-old boy. Alen are at present working on the north side of the Invercargill jetty bridge building a groyne to improve the channel. The men use a punt to take out the fascives, and one morning this week they were precipitated into deep water through the punt capsizing. Two of the four men on the punt were able to clamber aboard, but the other two. one of whom was a non-swim-mer, were left struggling in the water. The swimmer succeeded in getting his companion to the groyne, where they could keep their heads above water. Their position was, however, precarious. A small boy on the bank realised their danger, and ran to where a boat was beached. He succeeded in launching it, and effected a timely rescue.