Some 200 or 300 yards of metal have now been placed on the road. The whole of the unmetalled portion of the road will be macadamised this year provided the metal can be obtained. The new metal presents an uninviting appearance to motorists, but it is understood that the road is to be graded and the sides ploughed up, the metal to be blinded with the material.
St Patrick's concert
The Irish national concert, which was given in His Majesty's Theatre last evening to commemorate St Patrick's Day, was very largely patronised, not a seat being unoccupied by the time the concert was in full swing. The proceeds, and they must have reached a handsome sum, are to be expended in connection with the repairing and painting of St Joseph's School and the Sacred Heart School, N.E. Valley. It was a very good programme, with plenty of variety about it, that was presented, and lengthy as it was, it was very materially increased before the last item was reached. Messrs E. Kerr, T. Mitchell, D. Whelan, and J. A. O'Brien, playing under the direction of Mr G. B. Laidlaw, opened the concert with a quartet for brass, the section being ``Operatic Gems'', from Meyerbeer's works. The first vocalist was Miss Agnes Cunningham, who was recalled two or three times for her singing of ``The Last Rose of Summer'', and finally left the stage with her arms full of flowers. Mr Jno Leech is always well worth hearing, particularly in such songs as ``The Dear Little Shamrock'' and ``Molly Bawn'', which suit his voice admirably. Both met with great favour, and the audience made further claims upon the singer. Miss Evelyn Lynch's place was taken by Miss Murphy, with whose vocal efforts those present were thoroughly pleased.
Fijian trade prospects
Some interesting remarks on the Fijian trade are made in a letter from a business man residing in Nadi Lanoka, to his father in Wellington. He states that Fiji is at present in a very prosperous way, the influence of the war not having been felt in any great degree. He thinks that the war will open up the rubber industry, which, despite the fact that tons of rubber have been exported, is yet in its infancy. It is only recently that the shipper has struck the American market, from which the returns have been highly satisfactory. Bananas are shipped to Australia in every boat, and a good and ready market is obtained. Sugar is, of course, the mainstay, thousands of tons being shipped in the raw state every year to Vancouver, Sydney, and Auckland. The export duty on the raw material is much less than on the refined article.
Good barley crop
A visitor to Invercargill from the Lakes district states that this season's barley crop is a prolific one, and that it was harvested in the best condition. The weather in that district has been extremely warm for some months past, and a resident of many years standing says he never knew drier conditions to prevail. These have had some effect on the grass and turnips, but, generally, the farmer has nothing to complain of. - ODT, 19.3.1918.
