JOHN BRIGHT AS A CROSSEXAMINER.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 574, 21 September 1880, Page 2

JOHN BRIGHT AS A CROSSEXAMINER.

_ When a man ia liable to be cross-ques-tioned it behovea him to think twice before speaking once, if he would not trip over stumbling blocks of his own creating, A gentleman giving evidence before a Parliamentary Committee said that in some districts the number of crows upon a farm would average at least 60 crows; that the birds were of great service in destroying the wire-worms; and where tbey did not exist the farmers were obliged to hire boys to do the work of crows, paying them at the rate of three halfpence per 100 worms. Mr Bright inquired how muoh a boy could earn worm-killing, and was told ninepence; but, when asked if a boy made ninepence a day at the rate of three halfpence a 100 wire-worms, how many of these noxious creatures he destroyed in a day, the witness, turning restive, replied that he did not come there to answer arithmetical questions, Mr Bright, however, was not to be put off in that way, He asked if a boy did the work as well aB a crow. "A crow is worth 80 boys!" was the rash- reply. Then quoth Mr Bright—- " If a boy is, worth ninepence a day and a crow is worth -5.0 boys, how muchis the crow worth to the farmer in money 1" iNTot unnaturally, the gentleman lost his temper; bub in vaiii; Paper/pen and ink handed to him; and after battling with the figures awhile he announced that a crow was worth just 37s fid a day to the farmer. He was then asked to inform the.Oommittee .what; at that rate, was the yearly value of the bird;'and of course oould.notmakeit less/than £684 75.6 d,

: thV a farm, and desired him to y find>;tliß "aggregate annual value to the farmer of his proper quota of these useful birds 'thereby eliciting the startling information 'that the farmer must be a gainer of over £34,000 per annum by his half-hundred oroirii • Thui was thegehtlimari-takerfat liiawo'rd'with a vengeance! .. .>.;.?"'*"'■■'/•••''''