IN REPLY.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 16, 2 July 1920, Page 10

IN REPLY.

WILLIAM KIWI.

FOR THE DIGGER. A speakcr at the Farmers' Conference recently took a view in regard to the relative working capacities of New Zealandefs and the Home product that is seldom voiced : "Give me the new chum, even if^ 1 have to ieach him," he said. "I would sooner pay him £3 a wesk while teaching him than give it to a colonial, for I know that he will be a man."— Local paper, 19/6/20. For years the clouds of battle rolled — And Wilhelm liurled in vain Fis mighty armias in r.ttack ; The Allies stood the itrain. And in that firm, dctermined band Were counted men from Mrririland. ' 1 They went because the older land Had sent a sounding call— Forgetting self when days were dark They gave up home and all, And meeting danger fair and sqaare | Far more than well they did their share. : From year to year they saw it through, , And in those grim old days Of strafe and sorrow, work and pain, j The cable sang their praise, Until the time of. gloom was past And joy-bells rang lor peace at last. But hardly had ihe firing ceased, j And smoke clouds cleared away, | When rose a wild, ctraw-whiskered man And had his littlo say : "The fcliers that I ' cannot stand x\rc bred and born in Maoriland! j "Their ways are useless, mark my words They arn't the proper stuff- — They want a bed for sleeping in, j Cow-byres ain't good enough! They also wants a living pay, Yet won't work twenty hours a day! '(The time has come to tuni 'em down. We'll get a new chum lot, ; And while they're green and innocent | We'll work them pretty hot-^-They'll Kav.e scant time to eat and sleep, We'll drove the beggars just liks sheep." | The wild, straw-whiskered man satdown With sundry angry snorts. The other men sat silent there, Maybe because their thoaghts To distant graves had crossed the sea — - j To Flanders and Gallipoli. We grant that England played her part While War his thunder rolled, And England's soldiers fought and fell As EngKshmen of old. And sB the wide world understood The same old bnlldog breed held good.

But those New Zealanders who Ua On foreign fields away, Were mates and brothers of the men Who labour here to-day. One question rkes : In the test WTere they less rranly than the rest? We should not worry at the roars Of this indignant man ; Perhaps his brain is fashioned thus — If so the kindest plan Is just to let him howl away And have his windy, firtils "say."

Southland, N.Z.