"NO STATISTIANS"

Dozerdust, Volume 2, Issue 18, 20 May 1944, Page 8

"NO STATISTIANS"

WH3N Lieut. IL Brooker was approached on the question of a list of material which he and-his staff handled in the CRB Store, he gave a despairing look and said ; ” We. have never been able to get hold of a statist: and I doubt whether one would have been tach .good to us s ; Sgto Arthur Burge grunted approval and Hec Mui hoi la., on loan from the Wharf Operating Unit ? said in a superior tone ; . » We could blind you with figure lif we.’ had time ‘J. Figures Spa &k « IK the absence of the necessary staffed ans we learnt that the Store Staff had handled 10.000 oh cement, 100 tons of nails 250 a 000 super feet of timber, 16.000 field tilde? over 50 different types of plants rangih. ( see page IX o£jl

W Went to interview the great man in his office and, after much cajoling, Chief—Chucker .--Out. Cain allowed us behind the counter so we made our way past the outer defences of Geoff Mannix-und Ted Know~_ ling and, at last, came to where our Basil was preparing a graph showing the number of carpenters who claimed to be farmers. ::: WE coughed deferentially to attract his attention, ::: ” ANY experience at bookmaking, knitting, bondselling or other ‘essential work?", he asked shuffling papers together. ;; : HE paused', to look at some mail. George Aim had brought in and then -threw it into the. waste paper bhskdt» ” Thats so the/"? Old Man r can find it easy he - - 11 Our new filing system V ::: WE asked him where" he was born/ Glancing at a chart behind him,' he said triumphantly •’ Th® records show that you have bean vaccinated, confirmed, practice polygamy and arc a free mason V ::: " These charts " we said hurriedly to' change the subject» "'how did you learn aoout them ? Its a long story’,’hd replied gating raptly at the charts- lots of ’em., ; ; I first learnt how fascinating figures could' be when I started keeping a book of telephone numbers years ago. Thats what took me from Wellington to Invercargill 'i " Yes ”, he continued dreamily allowing his eyes to wander to a shapely WAAC as she filed past, " figures can’t lie FURTHER questioning elected the information that he was born in the' South I'&land some time after the Boer War, and afj*er the usual, schooling, followed the usual occupation of farming, Was soon left behind,— — so entered the N.Z.R. and took up with graphs and charts. ::: BEYOND admitting being married, he refused all further inf obmajtion. As we departed, he whipped out another paper.' " According to the roster, your on duty on Sunday y was his parting shot.