Tricks in all Trades.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 189, 24 June 1873, Page 6

Tricks in all Trades.

It is well known that the runs in this Province, as those in other parts of New Zealand, are infested with pigs to such an extent that their destruction has become a necessary profession, not only in consequence of the consumption of the herbage, but because the pigs frequently show a liking for lamb as well as vegetation. One of those persons who follow the chase as a means of livelihood, named Thomas Jones, called on us the other day with a view of exposing a grievance under which he is labouring, and as the explanation he gave us contained some curious items, we made a note of them. It appears that he has a contract extending over the Starborough and Richmond Brook Runs, Awatere, which adjoin the Elaxbourne Run. In this pursuit he uses six. dogs, and works on foot with no weapon but a short spear, six feet long, with a blade of four inches. With these slight means he succeeded in killing, between April 4 and May 18, no less than 750 head of swine, for which he received at the rate of sixpence per tail. Of this number 512 were on the Starborough, and 231 on Richmond Brook. His grievance, as alleged to us, is some sharp practice one the part of those who are hunting on the adjoining run, who cut off the tails of the pigs they catch and let them go again ; and as they naturally stray over the boundaries, it follows that sometimes when our friend has spent a quantity of time and hard work in running down an animal, he discovers that his labour has been in vain as far as benefit to himself is concerned. During the whole twenty-five years he has been engaged in the trade, he declares that he never knew anything so nefarious, as not only is he deprived of his just due, but another man reaps the reward from his employer without a corresponding advantage. He declares that in future he will charge Flaxbonrne for every tail-loss pig which he finds over his boundary, and do some dreadful thing—we don't know what—to the persons who cut their tails off. We are assured this statement does not rest on mere assertion, as the shepherds on Richmond lsrook have seen the pigs in quest ion.— Marlboro ugh Express.