Their ages range from 15 years to 20 years, and they are exceptionally sturdy and of fine physique. They can milk and plough, and many of them have a knowledge of rough carpentry and other trades which will add to their value on a New Zealand farm.
They will be placed in situations by the New Zealand Government, and will be under supervision.
• A test case of fisherman's rights to net in the Oamaru harbour promises to arise out of the action taken by a local fisherman who, after inviting the opinion of the Customs officer on the legality of netting in the harbour, refused to accept his decision in the negative as final, and stated that, to provide a test case, he would set his nets there at 3 o'clock that afternoon.
The nets (says the Oamaru Mail) were not set that day, but on the following afternoon they were set, and were confiscated by the Customs officer.
Fishermen state that they have netted in the Oamaru harbour for nearly 30 years, and that, if there is to be any prohibitive action taken, the Marine Department, and not the Customs, are the proper authorities to proceed with it.
If, they say, they are to be prevented from drawing nets in the harbour, it is only fair that those who fish for sport should be prevented from taking trevalli under 4oz and red cod under 8oz, which is not allowed under the Act, though fish of less than these dimensions constitute the bulk of the catches from the wharves. Their practice is not to trawl, but to set stationary mullet nets.
• Fish are very plentiful just now, and large hauls are being taken every day when the sea is not too rough. Barracouta, hapuka, terakihi, soles, flounders, mullet, and trevalli succumb to hook and trawl both inside and outside the harbour.
Very fair catches of fish came ashore yesterday from the three trawlers, but the great feature of their hauls was the great quantity of crayfish they sent to market.
Almost every available barrel and sack was filled with crayfish, and it was estimated that at least six tons weight of them were sent up to town by rail last evening. It is a long time since such large quantities of crayfish were available, this popular supper dainty having migrated in vast numbers from its rocky haunts to the open trawling areas.
• An amusing account of the experience of a well-known resident of Roslyn was related in the course of some conversational remarks during a trip on one of the Dunedin hill cars. The resident said: ''Mon, I've had awfu' bad luck with ma' chickens this season.
'' I wis settin' a sittin' of Buff Orpington eggs under a Wyandotte hen, and she brought oot nine chickens. This was no sae bad, but she did na stop there, for she must tramp on three and kill them. That left me six, and I found there wis five roosters and only one hen.
''Then the cats started to come aboot the place, and I had my eye on a big black ane, and I waited for him with half a brick, and getting a gran' shot at him I let fly, missed the cat, and the half brick went through the fence and killet five chickens, and I was left with only one rooster! Ma conscience, ma luck wis oot! I wis oot to kill something na doubt, but I had no thought to harm the chicks.''
- ODT, 12.12.1913.
