IN FAVOR OF THE DUCKS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1766, 20 August 1884, Page 2

IN FAVOR OF THE DUCKS.

J • An experiment was carried out in f France a few years ago to determine r the relative value of hens and ducks as j egg-producers, Three bird 3of each b sort' were selected for the trial, and f between the first day flf .January and 1 the last day of August the three, hens f laid 257 eggs and the three ducks 402' 1 Moreover in the autumn of the pre- ! vious year tlje ducks had produced 215 8 eggs after the liens hadeea§ed laying altogether. Of course, one such .experiment does not conclusively decide 9 the relative merits of.henß and ducks, ,' but it shows that the latter are not to t be despised as egg-producers, and they r are iu many ways less troublesome i than chickens, and are of great use to '• destroy slugs and snails in a garden, ' where they will do no harm if young i seedlings are protected with a few thorns.

.iiii«ihi.ii«l«—r^-iiiliiiMMiiiiiiiiniiiMiMiiniinTrr—-iASTEßTON-OPAKI RAILWAY. Several workmen employed on the ' lasterton-Opaki Railway line having etitioned tlie Government in reference \ o certain claims and grievances they , ad in connection with the seizure of he contract by the Government, Svidence was taken, and the matter fill be referred to the Minister for his moderation. The petition presented s as follows : Po the Hon. the Speaker and members of the House of Representatives— The petition of the undersigned nimbly sheweth— That your petitioners were employed n different capacities on the Opaki :ontract of the Wellington-Napier Railway line by the original contractors, Messrs O'Malley and Pepperell. That mi or about the 22nd December, 1883, ;he contract was seized and taken over ly the officers of the Public Works Department because ,the contractors liad failed to comply with the conditions, That in consequence of the usual monthly progress payments having been stopped for November and December,' the contractors were unable to pay your petitioners their wages and arrears, between October and'the date when the works were seized, 'That James McGuiness and Lawrence Cody ; left the works in October, but were met by Mr Oliver the inspector in charge, at the Masterton Railway Station, and oh informing him that they were going: away, as they could not get their wages, he advised them to return, as it was known that the wages men were not being paid, but the /officers of the department were retaining sufficient money to settle all claims for money in case anything happened. That these men returned to the works,and it was principally on the assurance from an officer, of the Publio Works Department that your petitoners remained at their work during November and December. That when the contractors—O'Malley and Pepperell—being unable to obtain progress payments, endeavored to sell certain horses and drays, with a view to paying their workman, your petitioner's, acting on what they believe to be the friendly advice and instruction of Inspector Oliver, seized the horses and prevented them from being taken off the works, the .inspector again promised if we prevented the remqvel of the horses and plant, we would be paid, and bur employment would be assured in future, That when we applied to Inspector Oliver and Mr Oonnal, the engineer-in-charge, for our wages, they advised us that we must press O'Malley and Tepperell before the department could pay us, and it was on this advice that we compelled the contractor to file a declaration in bankruptcy; both the inspector and engineer assuring us that if this step were taken, we should be paid by the department out of the money kept back. That your petitioners have applied for the amounts due to them as set forth in the statement attached ; but up to the present have been deprived of their hard earned money, That many of us are married men with families depending on us, and that the. whole: of your petitioners have been subjected to great privation through the way in which we have been deceived and kept out of the propeeds of our labor. The labor for which we claim payment has been rendered on a contract under ttye Public Works Department after progress payments were stopped, and that the department, and not the contractors or their creditors have derived the sole benefit therefrom, Your petitions, therefore, pray that yon will make any inquiry you think necessary into the circumstances, antf grant us any redress or relief that niay seem in'your opinion to bp fair, just, and reasonable, and your petitioners will ever pray, <&c., (Signed) Allan Anderson, Patrick Lyons, Patrick Tyne, James Henley, John Heanen, John Sunnex, and others. The amount due for wages to Bixtysix men during October, November, and p,e.cemh.er, as set que in the certified time-sheet is £743 4s 3d,