The Wairarapa Daily SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1891

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3917, 19 September 1891, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1891

There is something new under the sun, and it comes from Tasmania, It is au axemen's association, not a union of the kind which is attempted here, viz., an association to regulate the terms upon which bush shall be fell and the price to be paid for the felling, but an organisation which has for its object the improvement of those who make their living by the craft. It is an association intended to encourage the training and development of good axemen, and tbe patron of it is the Governor of Tasmania. An exhibition of skill is to be held under its auspices in Decem - ber next at which all kinds of chopping are to be competed for. There will be handicap chopping matches, underhand chopping matches, chainpion choppers matches, sawing competitions, paling splitting contests, and whip cracking rivalry. The prizes to be offered are extremely liberal, the highest being a a trophy with 75 soys, added. Our Tasmanian friends are ahead of us as a practical people in offering such liberal encouragement to men who have to earn a livelihood at bush work. They invite competitors to come from adjacent colonies, and offer a bonus of £3 to each New Zealander who becomes a competitor. It is doubtful whether many axemen from a district like this would venture to try their skill against tbe Tasmanians, because as yet they are unaccustomed to such competitions, but there is no reason why the example set should not be followed here. Our Caledonian shows are getting somewhat rusty from the wani, of novel items in their programme, and even our Pastoral Shows ! could, with advantage, take up one or two new features, The programme of the Tasmanian association is worthy of careful study by both bodies with a view to taking a leaf out of its book. Eyorj body more or less appreciates athletic prowess, but we can well imagine that a much livelier interest would be deaplayed in chopping and sawing matches than in some of tbe worn out features of our Caledonian programmes,