CORRESPONDENCE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2403, 11 March 1922, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

(To the Editor.) Sir. —It- has been well said that Fox ton is noted for “Fleas, Flax and Fires,’’ because there are: — Fleas on the railway, which makes the train late — it’s seldomjtway at ten minutes to eight— _•;*! u. ■ One reason for constant increase in freight; ~~ Fleas on the dredge keeps her. close to the shore; Davie’s been at the bend now three , months or more. Fleas on the bar, the steamer can’t run, Bumps on the .bottom with one hundred ton. Fleas at the Council, fleas in the sand Silenced the playing .of Johnnie’s, brass band: Flea.- on the ’plume makes the clerk very'slow; > Ale D ■ lost his temper and tbld him to go Fleas in the paddock, and,also the mill — No wonder the wages are goifig down hill! ) But if fleas are in Fox ton, yet everyone thrives, u All happy and busy as bees in their :hivgSL . ‘ - t

Flax for the rich, flax for the poor, Flax in the rope you buy at the store, Flax in the mattress that Jack has just made, Flax js part of the drapery trade) Flax brought (lie uiu to Maoris of yore, " Fax brings the money to everyone’s do,or: Bakers and grocers, I’m sure, could not live But for the high wages the flaxmillers give. Were it not for the,flax the pubs, would close down, There’d he nothing for 0 to do in the town. Flax for your braces, flax for your reins; Some of our men have more flax than they’ve brains; But Flnxtown, called'Foxton, is out on its own, And no one who lives here is down .- on his hone. Fire in Die morning, fire after noon, Never too late, never too soon. Just when -the folk have gone off to

sleep Sammy sets out the siren to shriek; Harold is there, as he lives on the spot, > / F <1 is up and off at a trot. R li tumbles out without much ado — His only complaint his trousers are

new. The hoys and the* girls who had slobbered good night Meet again unexpectedly to view the fine sight; The paint is’rubbod off, the poivder

is dry, And some of their dresses are slightly awry! They smile and (hey joke, and stand--1 in the smoke, Make tun of poor I'—o and Toulmdore's eloke. . Fire makes cheap iron for Andy s scrap heap, Fire makes the insurance companies weep. We socialise salvage or shut up the shop, And goods for insurance as quick sale we swop.' In spite of our fires, hi spite of our fleas, We live on our flax, and all are at ease. You are welcome to come to our town, if you please. —Yours, etc., CHIRRUP.