A WAR EFFORT

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume XXXII, Issue 8872, 15 February 1943, Page 3

A WAR EFFORT

TWO MILKERS—I2O COWS INCIDENT IN COURT CASE The fact that two milkers, plaintiffs in a sharemilking case, gave evidence that they desired to milk a herd of 120 cows (no stripping) on a quartershare basis seemed to counsel for the defence to provide a good opportunity, owing to the obvious solidity of the task, of discounting the story. Flourishing a copy of the Journal of Agriculture, opened at a page which tabulated herds and production, in front of a female witness, counsel said in confident tones: "Show me any place where two are milking 120 cows." Disdaining to look at the Journal, witness replied quietly but none the less decidedly: "Excuse me, but this is a war effort."

Slightly nonplussed, counsel asked away: "Can you tell me any place where so many cows are milked by two persons?" "Yes," came the .prompt answer, in less-confident tones as he turned "two ladies milk 100 cows out at Hir.uera." Later in the case the magistrate capped this evidence by stating that as chairman of the Armed Forces Appeal Board he knew of a case where two persons milked 110 cows, not a pedigree herd, but one which averaged 300 pounds of butterfat per cow.