BENMORE'S GOOD=BYE YEAR
Maoriland Worker, Volume 7, Issue 271, 3 May 1916, Page 8
About this newspaper
BENMORE'S GOOD=BYE YEAR
On the seventh of December, in tV year nineteen sixteen, Out at Henmorc in New Zealand, a husky team were seen. They were shearers, rollers, neceies— many ivoja Australia came — And their movements proved them quulitiod to start. Some Tfere veterans, some beginners; but tbey understood tho game, And each determined well to do his part. As they answered at the roll-call, there wore some we did not know. But that caused us no worry, we were out to work and do. With a strict determination that the paco .should be , a cracker, And the iMuij wlio caught the average should, nob lag: ,Tbat the ringer .for the year should prove to be no slacker. And a yo to yet tho vetenin in the* bag. The rep. elected stood tho test a? only staunch men can. He voiwd tho terms dictated, and those suited every man — An advance or two-aud-sixpence on the liuudred sheep each shore W'j'aS conceded, but on protest of a, kind. It was given as a bonus in connection with tho war; But it's proof the Heece 13 worth it, bear in mind. Somo littlo time was lost in agreeing ■ about the price, But it's well iv all agreements that you make, to be precise. It saves :. lot of trouble, though it's not so much you gain,. When tho cost of living grinds as it 'does now. And tho two~and-sixp<3iic« extra, if it was not for the rain, "Would help to build a. cheque, as you may know, A minimum award rate of one- pound per hundred sheep Is the price the squatter hangs to and would ever like to . keep.
(Ry "Tho Dr.mmer's Covntc-rpart," Beunicie, Jan., 1916.)
But taw maximum is qaery, and it's well for men to read In "The Worker" or in "Truth", it's fairly plain, That the Squatter's price for wool makes no difference to Iris greed— And the worker's loss is every time his gain. A start was soon made shearing, the tables, too, were manned;. The boys were on the board and thepressors joined the band. The wheels wore set in motion; next ■a, shearer called for tar, Aud the boss was on the lookout for that man. , He saiil, "I want good shearing, or there'll bo another war." And now I'll t-ry to tell you how they ran. The first .flock was the hoggets—though small they still were hard— I But the psioa was warm from early morn, and nothing cotild be barred. They toiled along, all bold and strong, a tally to record; And in that team was one well built to strive. His eye was keen, his hand was sure, • he seldom .spoke a word, And his tally for that day was twothirty-fiv*. He was tho idol of the tern, they swore he'd hold bis man— To wrest the veteran's laurels was his object pure and plain. Tho lleeeies all excitement, and the roller® in their turn ■ » Were alert to know the average- and the toiling drummer's name. They placed a fow two-hundreds, but they still had got to learn That behind the average there were eight—though slow they still wejro game. The veteran lost pome time, 'tis said, through sickness and mishap, ■ And did not join tho team again, till wethers marked the map. Hβ shore on well, but not yet strong, the spell did little good, His wether tally was not very long.
And though defeated, pot disgraced, tho veteran sternly stood To prove h« istill was master of some who ■still were young. The fliw? came in; and strill we find the tale is just tho same — ■ The young imm loads tho n-nd proves he knows the. gamif. And ono day in tho tallies we found that not a few,
For nine had turned two hundred — rough and hard.
They made the pace quite solid, and a tally they would do, And the deuce their record on the tally board.
For sixteen yeare attempts were made to change the ringer's name, But >3very year at Benmoro that name remained, tho same.
But this the last year ere the place to settlers goes by ballot Records a name, but marks no shame, for ho worked hard to do it. Hβ gained the day, and by fair play— and if I know alright— He sometimes sheara iv Queensland and is known as young Jim Knight.
