Fifty Years Ago To-day

Southland Times, Issue 22914, 12 June 1936, Page 6

Fifty Years Ago To-day

(From The Southland Times). JUNE 12, 1886. Depreciation of Property.—At yesterday’s meeting of the Southland County Council the chairman quoted a number of figures to show that the depreciation in the selling value of rateable property within the three southern counties had been startlingly great during the last year. The figures speak for themselves and are as follows: Southland County: Valuation in 1885, £4,195,027; 1886, £3,765,027; decrease, £430,000. Wallace: 1885, £1,456,370; 1886, £1,164,881; decrease £291,489. Lake: 1885, £345,678; 1886, £192,066; decrease £153,612. The Volcanic Catastrophe.—News is to hand that there is no hope for the Tapahero, Te Ariki and Morea native settlements. Seventy persons are known to be at the two latter places. The deaths of natives will probably exceed 100. A telegram from Te Puke, 25 miles from Rotorua, says that all the country is desolate. The feed is all covered up and the cattle are starving. Buggy Accident—While driving along Dee street yesterday Dr. Hanan and his groom met with rather a nasty accident. The horse which the doctor was driving—one he had little acquaintance with—became restive and in kicking got his hind leg over the shaft. In this predicament the animal became more violent and dashed the vehicle to which he was harness :d against the kerbstone opposite the Hibernian Hotel. The concussion sent the doctor and his man flying out of the vehicle. While the former landed on a soft place—the horse —the latter was thrown against the building and was injured about the head and body.