Southland News Notes

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXII, Issue 21, 26 May 1904, Page 4

Southland News Notes

(From our own correspondent.) That the Athletic Football Club, In,vercargill, is a (progressive body no one will dispute. This was the first Southland club to open and maintain a gymnasium, 'also to institute a series of socials during the winter months— both of wbich departures have been copied by other clubs. Last week a debating society was formed, to be called the Athletic Debating Club. The following officers were appointed : Patron, the Very Rev. Dean Burke ; president, Mr. W. O'Brien ; vice-presidents, Messrs. L. W. Morton and T. Cavanagh ; secretary, Mr. D. Corcoran. The Balfour Catholic church is to be blessed and opened about the end of the month.

Addresses on Freehold v. Leasehold tenures were delivered in Invercargill last week by Messrs. Hanan and Laurenson, M.H.R.'s. They favored the leasing of Orown Lands under the 30 years' tenure system with full valuation for improvements. Mr. Laurenson strongly favored the ' Glasgow leases,' and deprecated the existence of the private landlord, as we have him in Ireland and elsewhere. The question of raising a .loan to erect a municipal theatre in Invercargill is to be submitted to the ratepayers shortly, and some warm discussions will probably take place in the meantime. The town is already about £200, 0C0 m debt, so further borrowing is deprecated. The annual meeting of the Southland Liberal and Labor Federation elected Mr. M. Gilfedder, president, and Mr. G. W. Woods, secretary.