The entries are a good deal more numerous than usual, making the display in this respect one of the best the society has enjoyed, while at the same time quality is high. In poultry there are 240 birds, pigeons total 270, dogs 150, canaries 200, and children’s pets 155.
The judges had a big task to perform, and the work was not completed till fairly late in the afternoon.
Respect from farmers demanded
For some considerable time the farmers of Southland have been keenly exercised in mind as to the effect of the award recently made in Dunedin covering threshing mill, chaff cutter and harvest workers.
The application for the award was made by a comparatively small number of farmers in Otago, and the Southland farmers complain that they had no opportunity of placing their views before the Arbitration Court.
The matter came to a head on Monday afternoon, when the application of the union to add a long list of parties came before the Court in Invercargill. A large number of farmers were present, and Mr Justice Frazer (President of the Court) very tactfully and firmly condemned the actions of those who had failed to appreciate the standing of the Court.
His Honor said there seemed to be some misconception as to the matter of threshing and harvesting labour, and there seemed to be a very serious misconception as to the proper way to approach the Court.
One of the parties cited had written to the Court in this way: His Honor read the following letter, signed E.W. Sharp: “Have received a copy of threshing mill and chaff cutter employees’ award, and notice you have my name included, and I order you to scratch my name off at once, as I will be party to no such thing. I please myself who I employ and how I pay them; and another thing I'll have no union men on my place, or union agents either. I'll buy a mill of my own, or stop producing grain altogether before I'll be bothered with awards or unions and agitators going about getting men to stop work.”
That letter was sent not to the Court itself, but to an officer of the Court, the Clerk of Awards in Dunedin.
There were a number of others couched in not quite such a strain, but still their tone was not quite as it should be.
Robert Barker wrote: “I received a memorandum re threshing mill and chaff cutters’ award. I object to such an Award to come into force, and we strongly object to the Arbitration Court to have anything to do with the farming community.”
“Now I would like all these people to understand very clearly that this court in its jurisdiction is a Supreme Court and is entitled to the same respect as the Supreme Court,” continued His Honor.
“This court will enforce the same respect, if necessary. It must have the respect and consideration to which it is entitled, and all letters to itself or to its officers must be sent in the proper manner and couched in the proper terms.”
Long drought in Middlemarch
After a long succession of frosts, registering at times 22degF, the weather (our Middlemarch correspondent writes) has changed to dull grey skies and milder atmosphere. Rain is very much needed to enable agricultural work to proceed. Farmers generally are hoping for a good fall of snow to soak the ground.
Three years of very fine weather have left the soil dry for several feet below the surface, and unless a good winter’s soaking comes this year, the prospects ahead are anything but bright.
— ODT, 16.6.1922
