Late Local News

Horowhenua Chronicle, 5 January 1914, Page 2

Late Local News

Blackbii'ds, thrushes and stailings lately have been 'classed with sparrows as enemies of the Levin farmer and the gardener. Certainly the blackbirds "have" eaten our cherries this year, and the thrushes ".have" been busy occasionally in suspicious circumstances. But they are making compensations this year. As the editorial lunch was being trained in the way it shoulu go, this sth of January, the luncher heard a sharp persistent tapping on the gravel path. Investigations showed a thrush with a snail in its beak. He held the mollusc by some convenient part and beat its hard shell sharply on the gravel walk until the snail's house was broken. Then he showed the occupant what we did to our lunch. A juvenile strike took place in an Alexandra (Otago) orchard (says the Herald), when, after being lectured by their employer, the boys engaged in strawberrypicking "downed tools." In another case an employer and his boy had a dispute, which they proceeded to but without arriving at a satisfactory arrangement. At last the boy said: "Look here,/-boss! we had better take the jolly thing to the Arbitration Court!" Wairarapa boasts of the champion shearer of New Zealand, in the person of Mr Olds. Shearing the ordinary class of longwools one day last week ho put through, by machine, no fewer than 234 sheep from G. 30 in the morning till 2.30 in the afternoon. —Eeilding Star Mr John Cann, the inost'popular and straight-going of New South Wales Labour Ministers, has made public confession of his early adventures. He walked into Broken Hill, which he has represented in Parliament for 20 years or more, with his swag«.on his back. Not a sovereign was-in the pocket of ihe man who now, as the head of .the State's finances, plays with millions. He could not biiy a second class ticket on fhe railway of which he is now the Minister. He carried a swag then. Ho carries no swagger now.