SOUTHLAND NEWS.

Star (Christchurch), 20 December 1907, Page 3

SOUTHLAND NEWS.

[From Otra Cokrespoi^pjcht.] INYERCARGILX, December 18, . Some years ago &n Antarctic expedition brought back forty-five sleigh dogs, which were committed to the care o? Mr Trail!, Ringa Ringa, Patterson's Tnlet The original mob are all dead, but nine of their progeny have been pressed into the service of the Nimrod expedition and have been shipped to Christchurch. Wharawhara (Rabbit Island), a skerry at the entrance to Patterson's Inlet, has long been the haunt of many rabbits, which were said to be blest with a peculiar delicaoy of flavour. Disease appears to have overtaken them, ancj those who should know say that the few animals, that remain a c no more than skeleton caricatures of their former selves. '> The outcome of the Park Drain Commission is interesting. Avenal borough objected to the proportion of the charges it had to bear under the allocation of 1901, and asked for a revision. After considerable inquiry Mr M'Carthy, S.M., now recommends that the total cost of managing, maintaining, repairing, improving and reconstructing the drains and outfall should be divided into forky equal parts, that one of these should be paid by the county, two by Avenal, three by North Invercargill, six by East Invercargill and twenty^eight by Invercargill. The effect is that the county's proportion is reduced one-fortieth, Aveual's two-fortieth's and North Invercargill seven-fortieths. East Invercargill remains the same, and the city's proportion has been increased ten-for-tieths. In addition to this the central borough will have to pay £95 odd oil the total costs of the commission (£136 12s), which led the Magistrate to say, and a great many other people to think, that the recurrence of this dispute is a convincing argument in favour of the early creation of a Greater Invercargill. A further illustration of the" same argument may be' found in the enormous cost and trouble of dealing Avith six local bodies in the matter of the Order-in-Council for the new tramway. When all is said, Invercargill is a small place, and this multiplication of local authorities ia absurd.