“TOO MUCH MUTTON”

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 June 1922, Page 7

“TOO MUCH MUTTON”

. ■ LUMBERMAN ON N.Z. A recent copy of the American Lumberman,” contains the following statement which is attributed to an American sawmill builder who returned to the States a little while ago. The article reads: “Too much mutton” is the substance of a protest voiced by Dan Wilder, Anacortes sawmill builder, upon Iris return from New Zealand, land of beautiful forests where he installed a plant foi w Marlborough Timber Company. Mr. Wilder says that he had to get home to get .the wool out of his teeth. Just before he ate his Christinas turkey, he declared that he could taste sheep yet. In Maoriland, he stated, they eat mutton every day in the year, and _ ie confesses that sheep now give Iwu

the “willies.” He has a flattening otter to return to that land, but he doubts whether he will accept. The article continues : Mr. Wilder . . .describes the New Zealanders as a curious people, who love numerous holidays, rest periods during the day s ‘horse-racing, raising large families, and drinking tea and Scotch whisky. They have a fortnight’s ho 1da v at Christmas, another two ’weeks at Easter, and other holidays throughout the year, and in many trades they insist upon a rest period both f noon and afternoon for “smoke-on.

“When we did work, ’ said. Mi. Wilder, “the day was cut 40 minutes, for we stopped at 10 o’clock in the morning for twenty minutes for tea, and again at 3 o’clock for the same purpose.” . , In telling of logging methods m that country, Mr. Wilder states : _ “There

is a curious thing about New Zealanders. They insist on bringing long sticks to the mill. They will not buck them into saw logs in the woods for easy handling, but load and bring them in as long as they can be cut. They do this because it was the way their

grandfathers did it.” The American Consul-General, Mr. David F. Wilbur, said to a Wellington “Times” reporter, “I know the gentleman, and met him when he was over here. It is a statement that will not be considered seriously for one moment in the States by anybody, and is flbt worth a . serious thought. "People read such things between the lines, and say ‘lt’s a damned lie., I don’t believe that rot stuff at all.'