SOUTHLAND TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 4041, 25 August 1931, Page 31

SOUTHLAND TOPICS.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

PRESBYTERIAN SYNOD. INVERCARGILL, August 22. Although the Presbyterian Synod ol Qtago and Southland has been in existence for over 65 years, its meeting in Invercargill qn August 26 will be the first occasion when the annual conference - will have been held outside Dunedin. There are 115 ministers on the roll, besides elders (about 60 in number), but only a fluctuating proportion can attend the yearly gatherings.

DAIRY FACTORY PAY-OUTS. Ihe annual meetings of dairy factory companies in Southland are proceeding, but will not become general until towards the end of this month, while others again will not be held until fairly late in September. The variation in the payouts of some factories is giving shareholders grounds for some anxiety, but in most cases this is the result of the policy followed by the directors" of consigning or selling. Those factories which were fortunate enough to effect good sales fairly early in the season will come out better than those which followed a consigning policy, but in all cases the decision was made in good faith and should not be the cause for dissatisfaction. THE AWARUA ELECTORATE. Acting on the advice of his medical attendant, Air J. R. Hamilton, who was selected by the Reform Party to uphold Air Coates' banner in the Awarua electorate at the forth coming general election, has had to retire from the fight. A meeting of the Awarua executive met during the week to discuss the position, but, although the names of several men anxious to stand in the Reform interests in Awarua were put forward, it was decided, in view of probable developments in Wellington, to defer in the meantime the selection of a new candidate to succeed Air Hamilton. BUILDING TRADE SLACK. Business at present is very quiet so far as the allied building trades in Invercargill are concerned. Carpenters are finding little to occupy their attentions, and as far as painters are concerned, it is reported that only one member of the union is in employment. Bad weather probably has had something to do with the lack of orders, but, nevertheless, the fact remains that many people, no doubt affected by the depression, are postponing work which reallv is most necessary in the matter of preservation of property. However, it seems evident that sooner or later they will be compelled to put. this work in hand, and the carpenters should probably be soon rushed for orders.

IN QUEST OF THE K. CUP. By dint of their own efforts, the members of the Southland Ladies’ Hockey Association have managed to collect tiie £l7O odd necessary to send a representative team to compete in the Dominion championship, which commences at Auckland on the 29th inst. Not being able to draw revenue from weekly gate money, as a Rugby Union can, the association has had to depend on the endeavours of its members and the generosity of thenfriends to raise the required amount to finance the trip, and it speaks volumes for their courage and ingenuity that, by quietly working, without any public appeal, they have been able to gather the expenses. Eastern Southland, too, is also sending a team north, and, in view of the splendid records of both Southland and Eastern Southland at past tournaments, their activities will be watched with keen interest by the public in these parts. THE LICENSING POLL. Keen interest has been shown in Invercargill since the first announcement of the proposal of the New Zealand Alliance that the licensing poll should be abandoned this year. The prospect of the electors of the city being deprived of the privilege of exercising their vote on the local option question has been widely discussed, and a good deal of resentment has been expressed in certain quarters. Owing to the elaborate organisation prepared for the contesting of the election, considerable interest has been already induced in the restoration issue, and both parties have stated that they were very confident of success. The Invercargill Restoration and Progress League has made strong representations to the Government to have the local restoration poll taken in the event of the national issue being postponed, and the league has even offered to guarantee the expenses of taking the poll in Invercargill.

MAKAREWA FREEZING WORKS. The expansion of the frozen meat trade in Southland during the past few seasons has seriously taxed the capacity of the local freezing works, and extensions have become urgently necessary. To meet the growing trade, the Southland Frozen Meat Company last season remodelled the killing board at the Makarewa Works to provide increased capacity, but, owing to shipping delays during the season, congestion occurred in the freezing chambers on occasions. The conmany hns m>w decided to proceed with the completion of the project to bring the works right up to full capacity, and a contract has just been let for the construction of a new freezing chamber and store at the works. The freezing chamber is designed to hold 4000 carcasses, while 36.000 will be accommodated in the store. A scheme for the remodelling of the killing board and extension of freezing space at Mataura has been under consideration, but, in view of the difficulty of completing the work before the next season, this scheme will not be put into operation until next winter. Tn the meantime, a temporary remodelling of the killing board will be undertaken in readiness for next year's killings.