GENERAL ITEMS

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 22 July 1920, Page 3

GENERAL ITEMS

UNIQUE WOOL FAIR

The unique wool hiir has again been held at Inverness, Scotland, and this year poace found it showing renewed vitality. It was unique because thousands of sheep thpre change hands without a single animal being exhibited. Sales are made solely 0 n tho word and reputation of the seller, whoso ancestors before him sold sheep at this saline Highland gathering in the days gone by. And the word of such a -mau is as good as his bond. The character of the farm an) the hill pastures, and the class of sheep they annually produce are well known to the prospective buyer, so that ho does not fetd that he is taking any chances in purchasing without seeing a sample s'.ieep. Mauy thousands of sheep and bales of wool changed hands this ypar, and prices were nover so high. AU of the sales were made on honesty, integrity, good faith, and family reputution. What a record to the credit of these sturdy shepherds of the hills ! One alint st would account is idealism, not reality ; but it is a tact, and since time immemorial sheep have been sold in this " 'uon honour" way in the old grey market place of Inverness by men from the same hill farm to men of the same names and clans as to those to whom their forbears sold. The Chicago Breeders' •azette. from which tho above statement is produced, adds : "The world doc? move, but happily some good old traditions remain—good faith and honesty in selling are among them."