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Southland Times, Issue 19264, 30 January 1904, Page 2

It is reported that in the Wyndham district harvesting operati<"ts havo already begun. It was expected of -'ourse. that harvesting would be ear'v this year but Wyndham has evidently anticipated the dato generally fixed by a fortnight oi three weeks. In the course of his annual statement yesterday the chairman of the Harbour Hoard gave some interesting figures in ci_ni)octi*>n with the (lax trade. In 1902 f>7oo bales, or approximately 1340 tons, were exported, but in 1903 *.he quantity was 3131 tons, or 15,(555 bp'es. At, say, £-0 per ton, which is "not a high estimate, this trade is worth over £60,000 a year to the district. On Wednesday next Mr R R. Ussher, Kngineer of the Public "Works Department, togethor with Mr R. McNab, U.H.R., will inspect tho suggested routo of the railway from Tahaknpa Valley to Mokoreta. Mr W Thompson, of Forest Hill, has been exceedingly successful this season with a paddock of Tartar King oats. His crop stands fully fift Gin high, and tho heads are deep and heavy In the ear. Mr Thompson is confident that ho will get 1 00 bushels from every acre. Broom, gorse. ragwort, dock, and wild turnip have been declared noxious weeds in the Wyndham town district. At the last meeting of tho Winton Caledonian Society, P. Hftgarty, who w ft s spiked in a foot-race at tho Society's .-ports, claimed £3 for time lost as n result of the accident. The Society repudiated all responsibility in the matter The Society being in nned of funds. it was resolved to promote a concert, and a committee was formed for the purpose. A regrettable fatality occurred . at Otago Heads yesterday, Mr F. A. Joseph being killed instantly by a stone from an exhibition blast, which ho had been sent to report on for the Ol). Times. Mr •Joseph was not unknown here ; we believe he has relatives in the district. He for some time conducted newspapers in the Clutha and Taiori dlßtricts. Attention is drawn to an advertisement in this issue by which the Education Hoard invite tenders for school works at Gore and Green vale. George Schmidt, an employe in an LOast Gore flaxmill, was severely injured on Mouduy. While he was attending tho scutcher, tho driving belt split, and ono of the pieces, striking him on' tha shoulder, severely bruised the flesh and s-piit the bone. Medical assistance was rendered, nnd tho irjured man made satisfactory progress. Reference is made in the Winton Record to the loss of a nice foal, the property of Mr James Hamilton, of Riverside, from a disease which is some-.vhat common in Southland this season. It causes peculiar swellings from which the foal seldom recovers, and probably ovei a hundred animals have been lost in Southland county this season. The Goro Cycling Club is holding a sports meeting on tho 24th prox., at which a series comprising 1, 3 and 5 mile races will bo held. The competitor securing the highest aggregate number ol points will be selected to represent the Club at the N.Z. Championship meeting in Christchurch in Easter week. The Club will also hol»l a road race, for which prizes will be amounting to £25. The Winton Record reports that tho fivers in that district are in a very low condition jittt now, and consequently anglers hava not been meeting with much success, but one of the successful recently landed 1-5 very nice lish from the Oreti with the fly. The Hedgehope correspondent of the same journal reports that trout in the Hchgehope rivers aro not nearly so plentiful as they used to be, and that re-stocking is urgently necessary in order to replenish themWith regard to a list of names given in a Wellington telegram in yesterday's issue as those of successful candidates in the National Scholarships examination, held in the first week of tho year, it is obvious that some further explanation has to bo given. The telegram stated that all who wero mentioned had " qualified for National Scholarships." As there are only two for Southland, it is not easy to see »vhat is meant by saying that 2G candidates qualified. Nor is it eusy to decido /— im tho telegram who are the winners o' the scholarships. Presumably all the candidates were eligible and complied with fie conditions under which the scholars* 1 ps wero granted. Then the only stipulation made by tjio Act is that one of the cholarships must go to a pupil from a •- tuntry school at which the average a*-*"in<lance (^ under 40. On enquiry we lef-n that tho pupil from such a school win (s highest on tho list given yesterday is ?liilip Wild, oi ! Niagara, with 523 marV-s. We assume, therefore, that one scholM'ship will go to Philip Wild, while tho nther will go to Miss Given Hoddinott, who gained tho highest number of mark*. Both South- j land's scholarships will therefore go to country pupils. The winners aro to bo congratulated. The scholarship is a valuable one that ensures a thorough course of secondary education, -ind it also entitles the holders to compete in due timo for a Senior National Pcholarship that will enable him or her to proceed to tho University. The secretary of the Education Board was of opinion yesterday morning that the winrto'ra of the scholarships could not be decided from the list as telegraphed, and hn communicated with the Department in Wellington. A reply received in the ev_nln^r intimiatecl that tho list is complete, and there is uow practically no doubt t-at the result is as stated above. M.'e care should have been exercised in announcing tho results, as the telegram vras obviously framed by someono who did not understand the nature of tho examination. Tho position has now heen mode clear, however, and tho pupils mentioned can safely regard themselves as tho fortunate pair Yesterday afternoon, a stable, cui'tshed, and byre belonging to Mr Charles Hughes. Longbush, were burned to tho ground . —Irs rTuffhcs, who was first on Lho spot,, succeeded, with tho.heh) of a lad named Andrew Strang, in saving a uiggy and a litter of pigs. There is, it is understood, a small insurar.ee tmt Mr [fughes will be a loser.— Own coricsponlent. ,

•* The Blufl Harbour Board aro in a most satisfactory financial position. They have ! £2500 on deposit and a credit balance of ■ £2300, and tho sinking fund amounts to £24,246. Messrs Dunlop and Watson expressed the satisfaction of member*, the latter remarking that thero was no TJoard in the colony in a sounder pt-_itior» in regard to finances. Tho January number of" the Review of Reviews for Australasia, which ls now issued under the editorship of Mr Henry Stead, is to hand. It is a very good number, and if it maintains the standard aet there should be no fear of nousuccoss. The most prominent contributions are character sketches of Lord Northcote, Governor-General of th* Commonwealth, and Cardinal Merry do Val, Papal Secretary of state. Papers on tho Federal elections are written by Sir William Lyne, Mr Bruce Smith, Misa Vida Goldstein, and Mr SumueL' M auger, all viewing the subject from different standpoints, but all interesting. A review of Lord Wolsoly's book "'The Story of a Soldier's Life" iB given, and forms a most readable part of tho magazine. The cartoons, illustrations, etc., are very good. Shortly after the Rivorsdale school picnic train left tho Blufl yesterday ovening. a man named McCarthy, a resident of Mandeville, who was in ono of the carriages was observed to, walk, apparently deliberately, to the door and oft the platform. He fell on the retaining wall at the place locally known, as the Rig Pond, where the line encloses a bight of the foreshore, and rolled into the water, the last tho passengers saw of him being his body, lying face downwards, in the watfcr. Word waß telephoned from Ocea_i Bench to tbe Port, and Cadet Roberts, proceeded to the «ceno, where he found McCarthy's body floating in the pond. Quito doad. He drew the body from the water and returned to the town for Dr Torrance who on reaching the spot found that life was extinct. The body of the deceased, who appeared to be between 13 and "»<> years of ago, was then taken to tho : Bluff. 110 had sustained severe injuries i to his head in falling, but the doctor is of opinion that ho must have breathed after entering the water On the body a ticket was found showing- that ho had booked from Mandeville. An incjuest will probably be opened to-day. The Goro Dairy Factory, «.ith a nomi j nal capital of £3000, hav-ug accepted the olTer of Mr Warden of £.1050 let its property, is resolved to 4,-0 into voluntary liquidation. A special meeting of__tho Southland Education Board was held yesterday afternoon, to further consider Mr I. W. Raymond's proposals for Education reform. There were present Messrs T. MacGibbon (chairman), W. B. Scandrett, I W. Raymond, O. McLeod. D. Gilchrist, J. C. Thomson and Hon. A. Dalc^y. Several clauses had previously been discussed, the majority failing to lind sufficient support to be confirmed. Yesterday two more clauses were considered, and both were negatived. Mr Raymond then asked leave to withdraw tho rest, as it was useless going on with tho matter when so many were against him. It was decided that no further action be taken with tho remaining Clauses, and Mr Raymond intimated that he would give notice of motion to* rescind those passed. Members generally expressed themselves as enlightened a good deal on educational matters by the motions introduced by Mr Raymond, unii hoped that he would eventually bring forward proposals which would meet with general support. At yesterday's meeting of the IMull Harbour Board, the chairman (Mr A Bain) took a step that will meet wjt„ general approval Early in January thu Hoard's annual accounts uro completed, but very frequently it is a nomh ci more before the Government Auditoi makes his inspectio* of them, and irt-r further time elapses before thuv are o*riified. Of course it is only on tlie certinou accounts that any final remarks ca;> :.o passed, but at the same time the chairman 01 the Harbour Board is justified in assuming that the audit officer will find little, if any, need for alteration. During the past four years no alteration has been made, and instead of withholding the review of the year's work until after the stamp of the Audit Office had tfen obtained, Mr Bain proceeded yesterday to make his annual statement, premising that the auditor's certificate had yet to be obtained. Mr S. K. McCarthy, S.M., gave judgment by default yesterday for 1). Roach against T. IV Murphy, for £10 2s 9d. costs 15s ; and for I. W. Raymond (Mr F. V. Raymond) against Wm. Irwin, for £5 is Cd, costs £1 6s fid. Mr Dorset t, who has been Secretary of the Wellington Education Board for 27 years, is reslningi the position. Yesterday's Kitting of tho Magistrate's Court, Mr McCarthy, S.M., adjudicating, was largely occupied by a case in which If. L Cottrell, contractor, sued R. Day for £11 lOs, being half-cost of a dividing fence and the whole cost of on inside fence. The defendant had paid £9 ls 2d into Coirrt in full satisfaction.— -Mr Rattray for plaintiff ; Mr Stout for "defendant. The parties own adjoining properties, nnd the dividing fence was erected at tho request of defendant by Cottrell. Tho defendant contended that tho terms of ihe contract had not been complied with in regard to material or workmanship, the fence having bulged in more than one place, while tho posts were also- loose in places. After hearing evidence, his Worship accepted tho defendant's version of the terms of the contract and gave judgment for plaintiff for £9 10s (8s lOd more than defendant had paid into Court), no costs being allowed. Price and Bulleid— -Just received another shipment of Ladies' Ready-made Costume Skirts, cut and styles the newest. Ladies' Costume Skirts in Canvas Cloth, Ladies' Costume Skirts in Lustre, Ladies' Costumo Skirts in Durable Cloth, Ladies' Costume Skirts in Voille, Ladies Costume Skirts in French Serge, blacn and navy, at Price and Bulleid's in Tay I street.