CHRISTCHURCH.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 149, 18 March 1908, Page 8

CHRISTCHURCH.

A small farmer giving evidence before, tho Conciliation Board admitted that' ho 1 might be called a champion -.potato, digger."! " 1 suppose I hold the belt. 1 .know of no oiie who has 'beaten my''record." Later "on ; he stated; that lie had earned. 255 l in a day, potato digging. He dug sis-'tons. equal to 66 bags, in eight ho.urs and -a , hiilfj'y in ,a 17ton "crop. In a ten-ton crop he had averaged £1 per day. ' When ho dug the six' tons lieomploycd two boy? picking, but in addition to lie omptied all tho buckets for tho boys and picked up fully a. ton himself. On one 'occasion- ho had earned' 9s; lOd.' per day off a : paddock on which : others had thrown up work' because thoy''alleged they ■could not- earn lii; similar, circumstances lie had made. 15s. 'per day.Tlie men w'no could not make moiiey at potato digging were, those / who wanted ; to camp for the winter and who ate the'boss's potatoes.

Wo Licence... _ ■ . ■'. About a fortnight ago a no-license meeting was held at Lyttelton, at which Mr. Laurenson, M.P., \yas.oue,.of the principal speakers. Amongst other statements; made . by. him .was the following:—"A gentleman, connected with one of the largest shipping firms' trading to tho;'pqrt_ had assured liim that the combined shipping companies lnad been caused ' so much'- expense .and delay by drunkenness amongst' sailors .and firemen',.in the port, " that if no-license were carried ill Lytteltqn theywould.be willing to hand, to tho Borough Council a, cheque for £500 to cover, tho .loss of revonuo'which would result from tho closing up of. tho .eight hotels in the town." - "This statement," says the .'secr.etary' of the Licensed 'Victuallers' Association in a'letter .to the . "Times,'.' " appeared so wildly improbable that my committee deemed it advisable to-' make inquiries int-o the-matter, with tho result that the managers of all the principal' shipping cqmpa'nies trading-to the 'port have bconinterviewed. All reply-that they" are absolutely ignorant of any offer or understanding of any description' in. this connection, and" that none of thoir - agents or officors m, Lyttelton or elsewhere have any. authority to move in tlio matter. '.