IF IT WERE TRUE !

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 259, 2 November 1933, Page 11

IF IT WERE TRUE !

FAT LAMB AT TENPENCE,

STIR IN WAINGAKE VALLEY.

The Waingake Valley buzzed with excitement at the end of last " export fat stock buyer was offering loa per lb for lamb (says the "Poverty Bay Hern'd"). But there proved to be a tiy in the ointment. The condition attaching to this offer was that the lambs must be killed this week. _ lhe Kaiti . freezing works are closed this "' eck - Farmers of the Waingake; Valley had two hectic days. Investigation has revealed that it all started with a most innocent remark. This was enlaigcd on, until at last it became fact, and telephones were used more than ordinarily to spread the glad tidings. Farmers looked at their lambs gloatthat on Friday morning an export buyer was talking to a Waingake farmer who had a few lambs just on the fat stage. The buyer advised the farmer not to sell just yet. 'You iniglit get 9d for them, if you hang on till next week " the buyer said. Ninepence! Ninepeneo for lambi The news was too. good to keep. The farmer rang up hie neighbour. The neighbour telephoned his neighbour. Somehow, in the transmission of the news, the important item only was referred to. Ninepence for lamb next week! Yes, ninepence! The "you might get" was dropped after the news had been repeated a few times. Farmers went out to look at their lambs.

That was on Friday. In the evening the "Herald" came out with the advertisement that the freezing works were to close on the morrow until November 8. The flutter of excitement over the lambs was forgotten. It was revived on Saturday morning, however, and excitement surged to even greater heights. It was reported that a buyer was offering lOd per lb—"if we can get them killed,next week." For a short time, the fact that the works would be closed this week' was forgotten. Telephones buzzed with the news, a "id buyers' offices were rung up for confirmation. It was only then that people became calm. To secure the lOd the lambs had to be killed at Kaiti this week. And the works were definitely closed this week. It was an exciting day and a half for Waiingake farmers. It almost made those at the homesteads rejoice that at last the slump was completely over. In the meantime, farmers are wondering what the price will be next week. Some predict a drop to a 7Ad schedule, a more likely basis than lOd.