Early Days in the South Island

Manawatu Times, Volume LIX, Issue 7459, 9 May 1934, Page 8

Early Days in the South Island

INTERESTING EXPERIENCES RELATED BY MR, A. SEIFERT.

__ Interesting anecdotes of liig early days in farming pursuits in various parts of the South Island were narrated before the Palmerston North Citizens’ Lunch Club yestorday by Mr. A. Seifeit. Ihe title of his address rvas "Incidents in My Life Before Twenty.”

Mr. Seifert said he started work in North Canterbury when about 13 years old. From there ho proceeded to the West Coast, and then to Lake Monica in Otago. Later ho made a further mo\o to Southland. In his boyhood days a depression was current; wages w'ero low,, and work far from plentiful. At that time many of the largo Canterbury stations fell into the hands of'the banks. However, from no angle was the depression so severe as the present one, although its root cause was the same a change in the value of money. Tho hard times had a good effect in that they weeded out the less efficient farmers, so that the general class of men on the land was greatly improved. Describing his first experiences in a flax-mill, Mr. Seifert said he put in ten hours a day for six shillings a week. The work was very hard and the food none too good. For this reason, said Mr. .Seifert, he put in two years without increasing in weight to any appreciable extent. In those days it was the custom not to give butter or jam to tho factory employees, although they wore well kept in meat and bread. One of the greatest drawbacks to the life was the difficulty of obtaining sleep owing to the prevalence of fleas irt the accommodation whare ! Men in those days, just as was tho case to-day, had little time for a cook unless lie could give them the food they wanted. Flaxmills were not then the well-established institutions they now are; generally they consisted of a crude shelter over the machinery. In some cases the belts wero not even covered.

Leaving the flax-mill, Mr. Seifert served on a sheep-station, carrying about 20,000 head, and was there at the time shoaring machines were introduced. About tho samo time the first twine binder reached the district, and ■was soon widely established. The life, despite is strenuous nature, was not without its lighter moments. Leaving the sheep-station when sixteen years of age, Mr. Seifert proceeded to tho West Coast by water. The country he found differed widely from Canterbury, and the climate was radically different. It was notorious for its heavy rainfall. Mr. P. S. Larcomb proposed the club’s thanks to the speaker.

Visitors welcomed were: Messrs. A. C. Armstrong (Palmerston North). .1. W. Dewis (Hastings), J. E. Horsfield (Rhodesia).