Chips from the Harbor Block

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 31, 10 September 1891, Page 2

Chips from the Harbor Block

[from our own correspondent. I Mr E. Harrison, while engaged building a shed on his property, had a narrow escape of a serious accident. A large pile of timber which he had stackad up to dry, suddenly collapsed, completely bury lug him. Fortunately some members of his family were near at hand, and extracted him 'from his perilous position. He was severely shaken and bruised, but not otherwise injured. The settlers here are wondeung when the contractors for the formation of the Taonui Eoad to the Oroua river, ia going to commence operations. This is a yery necessary work as being the only outlet to the Kiwitea, and also to that portion of the Block situate on the Oroua river. This work has been let a considerable time, and contractors should not be allowed to play the " dog in the manger " with the settler's work. The practice of turning cattle out on the roads is greatly indulged in here, where their presence at night is a source of constant danger to horsemen. Be- ! sides, the damage done by" them in tread- ; ing down water-tables, and damaging : drains, causes far more expense than the legitimate traffic. If I am not too late I would like to make a remark or two anent the letter of i your correspondent, " Shorter Hours and '■■ More Pay." This " gay and festive cuss" evidently thinks that the farmers are at the bottom of the exodus \. that they de- [ light in long hours and small pay. Not a \ bit of it. I can assure him that no one jj enjoys taking his ease more so than the [i farmer after a hard day's work, and all \ farmers must work hard. If " Shorter hours', &c." wishes were carried out they i would defeat their own ends, for to limit the hours a farmer might labor would • mean, in many cases, that struggling settlers would not be able to farm at all; and would thus be forced into competition with labourers to live. A contingency he evidently does not desire to arise.