ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
Sometimes swearing up to twice per sheep, a local shearing team has told reporters that they’ve barely broken even this week after a landowner put a swear jar in his shed.
Dennis Procter, who is a man of God, said he made the contractor aware of the jar’s presence before they started work on his flock last Thursday.
But that’s now been disputed by the team’s old hand, Simon Sherlock, who said he was ‘basically held to ransom’ over the swear jar payment upon completing the job.
“Dennis was classing the wool as it came off, so he was obviously in earshot of it all,” said Sherlock.
“I actually did notice him taking down a tally of some sort, I wasn’t sure what but you know, I had more pressing things to worry about – such as swinging off the press most of the day,”
“Long story short, this jibbering old cunt has locked the gate on us just then pulled our keys from our ignitions before we left and said we owed him for the swear jar. I thought he was taking the piss! A fucking swear jar in a shearing shed? What will they think of next? A tip jar in the sperm bank? Fuck me roan!”
Both parties confirmed that after a short negotiation prior to what could’ve been a seriously physical confrontation, Sherlock agreed to pay back almost all the profit made from the job in return for Proctor returning their property.
Now the matter is before the Fairwork Tribunal, who will decide whether it’s legal.
Mr Proctor declined to be interviewed by The Advocate as Clancy Overell, our paper’s editor, has a history with him that’s not good history.
In March 1998, it was alleged by Proctor that Mr Overell introduced his daughter to pot and in turn, away for our Lord Saviour Jesus Christ.
Ruth Proctor now does the meat tray at four North Betoota hotels and organises the Tractor Pull at the town’s small farm field days.
More to come.
