BONUS DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 223, 20 September 1929, Page 6

BONUS DAY.

With joy and gladness the dairy farmer and his family hail the great day of this week—the 20tli of September. For weeks past, when the purchaso of anything for home or farm has been suggested, the answer has been, "We'll buy it on the 20th!" Then as the wonderful, eagerlyanticipated day draws near one hears, "It is only a week until the 20th!" "Three more days!" "Tomorrow!" And at last it actually dawns! "Why this excitement?" queries a bored city resident. Don't you know—really? Why, it is Bonus Day, the most important in the dairy farmer's calendar. Perhaps you do not know that most of the dairy factories consign their butter and cheese to the merchants in England and have to pay the farmers each month in advance of receiving payment from Home; At the beginning of the new season any excess money inland is paid to the farmers in a lump sum. This year, although tho prices were consistently good throughout tho season, the factories are paying excellent bonuses—one is paying 1 3-16 d per pound. On a total ,of several thousand pounds of butterfat this brings in quite a substantial sum. Most dairy farmers regard this, almost, as "found" money, and usually plan to do something extra with it—perhaps a deposit on a car, an addition to the homestead, or just little odds and ends that have to bo done without in the ordinary course of events. Once a neighbour's daughter was married on Bonus Day and the bonus paid for the wedding finery and feast. Rumour had it that she was wise to choose that day as tho guests—mostly farmland folks— brought better gifts than they would have been able to afford at other times.

Well do I remember our first Bonus Day, which occurred when we had been dairy farming almost a year. The cheque itself was quite small —ten ordinary cows on a practically unimproved farm could by no means be record breakers. Still, at that time butterfat was half-a-crown per pound. It was a sunny, crisp spring day. Rising as daylight flooded the valley, the cows were speedily milked, calves fed, separating done, and the horse caught and fed. Breakfast was eaten to the accompaniment of much chatter and laughter. "Bring me this, mother." "Don't forget that, father," until they laughingly declared it would be advisable to bring home the whole street of shops. Mother hadn't been out of our own small valley for six months, so maybe she was just a little excited. A row of children waved farewell to mother and father, who were perched in the spring trap. We watched until they disappeared over the horizon. The township is due east, yet for two miles the road meanders almost due west over the gum hills until, after passing through several creeks, ditches and finally a fascined swamp, it reaches the main metalled road.

The children prepared for school, and soon Big Sister and Little Sister were the only ones left at home. A day has never seemed so long. From noon we watched the road, but the children had returned from school before the trap came into view. The excitement of opening parcels and admiring purchases, of chewing lollies and eating oranges, made it a memorable day in our young lives.

We thought we would soon be millionaires! All, how could we guess that the slump was about to occur, or know that years of bitter struggle lay ahead? Yet even the bad years had each a Bonus Day to bring again joy and hope to the dairy farmers. —B.A.K.