Lumsden.

Southland Times, Issue 13501, 18 July 1896, Page 1 (Supplement)

Lumsden.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) There is not a great deal of excitement here over the all tngrossing topic of the day—the J. G. Ward trouble. I fancy no one in this district has been hard hit, and neither do I think there is a great deal of sympathy felt or expressed for the firm and its principals in their trouble. I believe that it was foreseen by many that a collapse must eventuate as the principle adopted seemed to be let us have the trade, never mind the profit, consequently up this way farmers’ requisites were quoted and sold at a lower rate than was ruling in any firm in Southland, now we see the result of it. Of more local interest than the J. G. W. trouble is the “libel case” to be brought forward on the 3rd of next month. The air for a time was thick with what was going to be done, and that the libel consisted of eight or ten sheets of closely written foolscap. If it should turn out that the whole thing is a “tempest in a teapot” what a disappointment will he experienced by a certain section of Lumsdenites. We shall see what will happen when the case comes off. Of all the places in New Zealand one would expect Lumsden to be the last to escape a flood, and yet from the beginning to the end of the bad weather the Oreti was never unfordable —for once we were a favoured community. The season altogether has been phenomenally mild and open. On the Castle Rock estate feed is abundant, and the grass quite green. One of the contract ploughmen informed me that the work was as forward this season at the end of J one as it was last year in September, or more than two months earlier. I hope we shall not suffer for it as the days lengthen. The spinsters of Lutnsden give a ball on the 3rd of August. They are sure to be well patronised as it is an invitation affair. I understand there will be an abundance of candidates wooing the suffrages of the Wallace electors for a seat in Parliament at the next election. Amongst them they might iet the present, member in again. I notice he sticks tight to his pledge to the Roman Catholic electors.—For the county election in November there will be at least three candidates for the Oreti riding. It is just about time they let the ratepayers know they are coming out, to give them a chance to fix their choice. The present member, Mr Ward, Mr G. Stewart, of Balfour, and Mr Andrew Small, of Lumsden, are the three spoken of so far. It was definitely fixed on Wednesday|Ust, at the meeting of the local lodge of Oddfellows, to go on with the concert and ball to celebrate the fourteenth anniversary. It will be rather near the spinsters’ ball, but although there is a danger of one injuring tbe other it is too late to alter it now. Asa rule local gatherings are fixed so as not to run against each other. In this case the Oddfellows made their announcement first, so are going to stick to the 21st August. Evidently they are behind the time in not recognising that the female element should supersede the other sex and make the course clear for them to have a fair run through. Thy school has just been examined, and, as on other occasions, the results, 1 am told, are excellent in all the pass subjects. The youngsters have a week’s holiday to recruit after the cramming. 15th July.