WEIRD WHISTLINGS.

NZ Truth, Issue 90, 9 March 1907, Page 3

WEIRD WHISTLINGS.

We have the steam-whistle pest m Wellington to a disgraceful extent. "Truth" employees suffer excruciatingly from the one at Luke's foundry, which is blown for a. full minute to knock the men off.' It could be perhaps excused if it was to call them on, but to advise them of "down tools" it is simply absurd and can only be perpetrated for flashness on the part of the man who controls the horrible howl-produoer. But what would be thought m any N.Z. city if such a monstrosity as has been rigged by the thrice accursed Armour Meat Packing Co., at its works m Kansas City, were to be inaugurated. A reference is made to it m a despatch to the San Francisco "Daily News" of a recent date, to hand by the mail, thus >-

"The greatest terror to youth of Kansas City is the big whistle on" the top of the plant of the Armour Packing Co. Each night at 9 o'clock it makes a noise like a. curfew, and frightened indeed is the youngster who finds himself on the street when the whistle blows.

The whistle is said to be one of the largest m the country. It is over 7 feet high and is made up of three separate chimes, any one of which would do sea-vice us a fog-h o rn,. The sound can be heard 28 mile.s away. All the "neighbors" living within 10 or 12 miles of the Armour plant put cotton m their ears when the big whistle blows;' When it had its photograph taken a guard was placed near the wire that liberates the noise, so as to prevent killing the man who stood inside it."

But imagine the state of the laws of a country that permits a giant private business to so injure and an* noy the public. Likewise what is *'a iioise like a curfew" like auyway 1