SAUCE FOR THE GOOSE

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3620, 31 March 1927, Page 1

SAUCE FOR THE GOOSE

THE GRASS THAT GOD GIVES. * A FITTING REJOINDER. In an article in “Newsletter,” dealing' with the Labour movement, the editor says:— We are reminded of a visit paid by the editor of tins journal to the late Mr. .John Fisher’s farm at Pukerimu, something ; like 18 years ago. Butter was then selling at from lOd to 1/- a pound, and there was some talk of the price being increased to 1/1 or 1/2 per pound. A Labour journal protested against the proposed increase and parodied the story of “The House that Jack Built.” Its concluding lines were something like this: This is the cow that lives on the land. And feeds on the grass that God gives. The writer recited the lines over to Mr. Fisher as he was crossing a paddock, rich in grass and clovers upon which cattle were grazing luxuriously, towards the Waikato river. Mr. Fisher stopped short, and looking earnestly at his companion said, without a trace of irreverence: “Yes—the grass that God gives! Will you believe me when I say that it took me eight years’ hard work before I could get a blade of grass to grow on thisland. Whether you do or not I. can assure you that is a solid fact.” But the writer, knowing something of the nature of the land and the struggles the earlier settlers had to bring it into profit replied that he needed no assurance on the point as lie was quite prepared to accept (lie statement, confirmatory evidence' of which was forthcoming (although not needed) before he returned to Auckland. The late Mr. Fisher was a Godfearing man who did not fail to give thanks to the Almighty for the blessings bestowed upon himself and his family, but lie ever and always recognised that unless lie did his part, cleared and broke up his land, drained ploughed, harrowed, scarified and manured it, wrestling it from the wilderness stage and carried out the Gospel of Hard Work that he could not. expect to see the increase.