THE CHANGING SCENE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 937, 3 October 1910, Page 6

THE CHANGING SCENE.

A BIRD'S-EYE VIEW.

.(Bt M.C.K,)

.'Ho. following question and answer occurred in one .of the debates in tho ■Hoiiso last week:— , ;.■-

v. Mr. Herdman: Is tho : Gaming Bill ■.'-jprinbed .';"'• ■'.-' ■•■'■. Sir Joseph: 'No—yes.; ■, ■;!.'■ ■■'} This is the .first" official '.confirmation; of ;.., the- popular; rumour on.the subject.

- The statisticians have been' very, busy "with the amount of. talk "recorded ' in iHansard. Up.to September 20 the.Prime (Minister's \. speeches (exclusive of- his

V">;ißpeeches in Committee, and his statements S;,^liat: ' by ''his : op- ■'.■ "jponcnts are "contrary to. fact") totalled '"..' V&i79. : jncliesj which is equivalent .to .about '."''. ?: 300,000 ■/words;;:-:' Further investigation \re- •:';;''. j veals ,tho:fact, that there are two prin- ■-: ':.'■■ tsipal predieates.ii'this'massif ;ianguagei, '~. ;«nd;ono' full stop.. The, .'longest s word ''•:'■[ -used is the following, ; which occurs no .' :; ■ fewer than 985,065..time5: . y uilsen'seofresponsibilitytha t'i f- ■ .youarctohavethepositionthafcwearet o s.a y- 1 •':;;.. andtheHousemustbeaware'ofthisandwehave- ;'. \taiieneverystcpncc«ssarytosafeguardthe i n■3; .terestsofthep'ublicthenlsayifwearetoli a v e-; %";. thatpositipnlhavenohesitationinden yin gr 33 tha'tthehonmemberisstatingtnefac ts a nd-

■ /theyareonrecordaii<l'weateiotgoingtbaU--b w--i;.:;6uohapositiontobcsuchasisagainsttliein te rSestsdfthecouEtryasawholcnowonewordasto." liiMpwinglOO .wprds'aminute over all, u thb

vPrihie. Minister spoko for fifty hours,,or, /■'roughly, -isix v; working, days—a;'.period ; which," at> the'Vavcrage' rate. ,:,of .';5- ! t>orrWing' .in .recent.jears, the .sum 'of

fj!66,oflo;:\vas; : torrowed.. i ;;'fhat is/io:sayy;a

trifle over, a shilling, a word was bor,,row«l by the:country.-:Printed 'as ono

long-strip;;a 'column wide, : . :ths Brimo

..Minister's speeches W'ouldijbe 373'feet ; long; Yd'ndif used as a frieze Would 'render' Tin-: Itenantable. nine' rooms each, .ten feet by ; *en; >.If '.'■■ all 'the members' 'of : the, Hoiise. 'spoke.at '.the ;same,rate—3oo,o(lo''.Words:iff ; two and two-third'•• months—the number: of '.words:spoken in.the whole.session:(allow-' .iig >!' months); would' be 'oyer 120,000,000, : Dr:sufficient: to'give employment to 1000 imen for: a -year' searching for ian original ;'idea;;; ; ;; : /V ;'.'-'■;. :r<^

-V: During, the'vpast JireekVMr., D.' MiP.',.;has,'been complaining of the heavy : burden' lie carries\as the sole:representaof .Independent' Labour.;. I'.in, Parliament.: .The two. other parties, he said, can. ;Vatch;the. course of events' in.ielays, but-: theipa'rty.'ofwhich ;he'is the/head;must 'stvph'-and'^onviirorVheris^tße'l^'-'and; 'middle;'as well-'"as i. the head..' He; kriow9

•■TOn;'OTbugh^.that : ftlie''''ott6rvp^«s^are

% '.' all /the; time alert' to iake- advantage, 'of ;•: this;:absence,- arid; pass : an .Act -^to ''■'reduce' % ; j.the;,'wages, of tHe;;Workingman.; to a.'shil- :■ mng : .a' week. : ; He;dare not go. out for' a / jsmbke; lest' he- should come back, to•; find vrwbrkirigmeri; ; disfranchised.y'..He?dare not a;J.take :a nap•■ lest';ho'.;should.-wake up .'in ..'; ,a ■world■Bereftv;of:.the .Shops arid' Offices y. :/ Act.;iHe/has to grin and bear .the whole. i ,»thjng.' ■/•It' :is no rw.oridef^that.'he-dees

,idts|s.ee.!.that .vtheie ;■ ■ are;';, compensations. : ? There .'are; times 'when the- Brime Min& iterJ.jnvies :him, : -for; 'it is beyonil,dispute" ;'that .llf., ll'Laren's'. party•.■is unanimous ! oh''every single-ipointW When' he'.rise's

to:; : speak 'he,'is/, not haunted'by' the '.feat

vthat';, his 'parly -is not'; altogether .pleased with ■ his ' specdi.' : He always ! goes. solidly into 1 ;one•."lobby" on. erery, division.; ..Ho lis 'free; of.'the : suspicion -.that vwhile ''■■• he

;/;^is',talkinjt v tb ; Sir ;Jose'ph)jWard : tho:.rest ';>.]: of his" party :is'.: intriguing;;: with Mr. f■■;' .Massejv :Ho can, .hold as -many Caucuses '..' '.•.;.as he.'chooses,'without[anybody-being'any v :; And 'he'ican^"shout" for the '';;.; : whplß.-.pa'rty ; ,for;sixpence. :"::V-\Vv-:'-v-V

. ,"I gire it .tip," said Mr. Dooley, after :lotfg\vVeflectivo : VsilOTCe.'."Hincefofrtli; I'll f'<r '<"■ ye can feel cerrtain' about that! Ye can -.-always be vsure.; that' tli' wind -is norrtli fr'm tli' fac' that th' Jfeechrologist said 'tv.'uil bo south.". -{^What'sth'tiirouble ?J* asked Mr. Hen-•■■-nessy. • v.' , "Would throuble.' -Th' ould : v';mfc^e : th' l'rimo Ministher. They've both -been 'diagnosiii' trie' case—not that they know me, iv i coorse. but' th' ; effec' is- th' same, v On'th' wan ban'- th' Prime Ministher, says; th'cqunthry's !in a gran' stato an' thrtt 'tis

'little .but, gpod,^that '.-its I .achievements, : is

; th' 1 admiration iv ,ail. th' other nations that hasn't copied thim, that its people !.v-"^--aLr-roV^iiiodest,->ljn'ti T an'.' "Ketther ed.udate(l,- fed, .an'' hettKer fgoverned thin janny 'other :peopie. ieatnro'iv ■ ' this ipuig ;democracy is its .. . arr'gaiice. 'Why', . 32ys me frind JOO, 'I'there's' ; n'ot' a ■ ljoy' iy liftecn,' he - says, : ~:f''who,'as' a. resultiv> bavin'rspint his life ,idhriiAin'.im^/th' gran'/; atmosphere/' ir. . ILib'ralism,' won't teach tli' effete nations

i}iT ; : th' Cluld Wurrld, th' arrt iv life: an', th' /i; way,! ivS progress;^7; ,V 'lis )■' 'so ;'A : ;says ; ; th' ,Biali6p;^'wliat l th i: -yo'ung New Zaylander

thinks he /don't' know ,'is :as:onascertain-

:':able,]aa"'-Joe;Warrd's .pplidy.'.v'-lf.jre'fcel' ..onhappy, .■ Jawn;. go j f joe, an'. in. : five he'll.;'convince ye ye're iburrstin' .with ■ genius and prosper'ty: .Ho thas been known't'roafo a cabbage.'think

;twnz a collection iv orchids...: On'.'a wet he.ican ;make- ; ye ashamed iv havin' 'brought yere, umbrella.* An'-th',Bishop's' all . ; ift' P.^'t'-^y• ..■''.' Wbin '■. ye're:. i'celin', ;Bpecially:good an' .sthrongj' Tiim, ail': in two minutes ye'll'have made fflp/vere mind t': ask kick, ye ■an','thea' give yo..:.th' addhress if some soils,- ■•, handbooks'.' ,f'r.:, th' vignorant. 'An'.livhat is wun.t.'.conclude, ; Jawn? ;• Iv.coorse, in . : a; manner. iv ..speakm',th'> Bishop is just runnin' down th'.pTodno's iv th' fimn with which he'is ■ not associated;.". An' me frind Joe.cudn't 'ibo";expicted [ tf'run, down thVproduc's uv. •. statesmanship.f'Th' - Bishop has an ; idee'that< there's; nawthin'.'.worth'consid--Drin''but th J .day iv feckonin', an' it's th' .; cbiof. plank'iv- Joe's; policy Vthat ..there's ■npt.:anny.day.ivreckonin'. ,'Th':.cpun:,thry's at'Stli'.heigth.iv.prosper'ty, an'-is : th'-finest-bloom iv civilisation,' says Joe. ; 'What. abont - the Hereafter ?' ■ asks. : th' ;Bishop. : ,'■ :luk at our gran'; laws/ says , Joe. ;. } '•• ;'LukV 'at iPjarlymint/: 'says s ; -th' Bishop;'. *Bilbori' million -'pounds,'/ -says . Joe.'- Th' day iv wrath,'says th''Bishop. ;'Tom Bracken. and frind Findlay', says ,'Joe;- .'Lorn'son an' ; Buddo,' says th' Bishop, an' takes th' thrick.. Now, Jawn, we can't be pure black, as; th', Bishop suggests we are, or pure /white and gold, ;as Joe says.; What ar-re,wo?. Where ..ar-re we? :An' th-. umpire. won't give his ' .decision, till it's too late f'r mo't'-'hear it, an' he'll be too ; worried, with th' bailiffs in, t' care sbout annythin', anny-..-way." -, : . "Who is th'. umpire ?". asked Mr. Hennessy.i "Poster'ty." ."