WAIKAKA NOTES

Southland Times, Issue 18746, 4 December 1919, Page 2

WAIKAKA NOTES

(From Our Own Correspondent.) Are we not having a terrible spring? Last year it was the “'flu” that was mainly responsible for keeping work on the farm and in the workshops back. , This year it is certainly too much of Jupiter Pluvius’ water pot. Our farmers have been working night and day striving to prepare the land for turnips and grass, but it is a heart-breaking job. No sooner has a paddock been got ready to sow when down comes the rain and the job of preparation has to be gone over again. Certainly the farmer is an optimist of the first water. The work will be put through alright, there is no doubt of that, but the. year's work will be very late. Mr J. Horn, the Liberal candidate for Wakatipu, has “come and gone,” and regaled the electors hero with his version of things political and otherwise. Mr Horn is a very honest and withal a straight man, and he marvels at himself more and more •'how he could have tackled the darned job.” Anri really, too, when you come to think of it politics is a “darned job” that few self-respecting men care to undertake. But it should not be so. Mr Thomson, our local school teacher, occupied the chair and introduced the speaker, who, on rising to speak, received a warm welcome. Mr Horn spoke very interestingly *on the questions of the hour and at the conclusion received a hearty vote of thanks. Several questions were asked and answered straightforwardly. As an example of the profound wisdom of the ordinary electors a local dominie wanted to know whether the candidate was in favour of "penalising the nonvoter.” Mr Horn told the anxious oue that that would hardly be just, as some voters would have to travel thirty miles to vote, or that if a voter did not fancy any of the candidates he could disclose his wisdom by scoring the lot out. If the electors vote Mr Horn into politics he assured them that he would not be a “lifer” —two or three sessions would satisfy him. The electors of Wakatipu have for long years had a good and consciously good, member in Sir W. Fraser, and it will be perhaps good for the electorate to have a change, but whether they will get a better man is doubtful. The whole is simmering with discontent and the majority realise too. that it is questionable whether any set of men will be able to extricate the country out of the crater of mismanagement it has been allowed to tumble into. We have won the war, that is the main thing with the Jiugoists, and dead-head Imperialists, and whether ultimate misery and starvation overtake the people is a horse of quite another colour and seemingly of only passing interest. Things are getting very serious indeed. For a certainty Australia will be faced with the same troubles that are likely to afflict New Zealand, a shortage of wheat, and neither State is making any adequate effort to meet the coming dearth. Commercialism is going to have the same test applied to it as, when threequarters of a century ago a million and ahalf of Iftyal Irishmen, women and children died of starvation. When we wake up, when the war mania is worn off and the heat in our blood cools, things will begin to take on their old-time aspect. Politicians arc all “gassing” and “skiting” at present, outlining what they are prepared to ’do if returned to power. Our stock sale here last week was not too well attended. Prices, however, were reasonable. Not too many sheep were forward and the cuttle were rather low in condition. The shortage of grass has been seriously felt as is evidenced by the condition of stock. The present season too is none too favourable as there is a general shortage of feed all over this part of Otago. The lambing has been a disappointing one to those having the care of the flock, as the low condition of the ewes rendered the work of looking after them very arduous and often very disheartening for the reason that not infrequently both lamb and mother passed out, anjl in the case of living, there would be an unpromising lamb and a poor mother to battle on. There is not many of the rabbit tribe about this year. The prices have been too high to allow of increase. Bunny at present is more profitable than even sheep. The desire for fur coats and muffs is causing the immense demand. The small birds, however, are pretty numerous.