THE LOAN QUESTION.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1085, 9 February 1883, Page 4

THE LOAN QUESTION.

‘Veil, Misther Premier,’ said the Bri'ish Pawnbroker, ‘ vot’s the se•cnritii sh, and how much d -esh you vai.t on it 1 ’ ‘ The security of the Colony of Victoria,’ w»s the ready reply. ‘ A beautiful Peace, a grand Progress, and an unexampled -Prrsperitv.’ ‘Goot! goot ! Excuse me u minute while 1 attend f to Mr New Zealand. There, Mr Mowy, is the money that .' you vanted, ve’ll be happy to do business with you again whenever you’re a litt:e bit short of cash. Good morning. Now, Mr Victorian Premier, Peace, Progress, and Prosperity ish goot goots, and the credit of the Colony ish not bad, altho’ you have got that funny fellow Bent to make (he spondulicks fly. He’s an expensive ma , Mr Premier-—a very expensive man. Veil, that’s your look out, ■ not'tniue. Bow-much doesh you vant on the securities!) ? ’ ! Four milli ns sterling,’ said Mr Premier, ‘ and I must have it at par. At par, mind ’ ‘Par, Mr Premier?’said the British Pawnbroker, ‘as we say on the •cont-inong, par si-bite Can’t do it, ma tear, at par.’ • But I won’t have it, at less,’ said the Premier. ‘lt must be done at I par.’ ‘Must?’ said the British Pawn- 1 broker. “ Very goot, ma tear. Then I shall lend you an eighth of it—- : between five andsix hundred thousand pounds, ma tear—not a penny more, s’help me > ’ ‘What?’ cried the indignant Mr Premier, ‘ a paltry half a million, when I want foui millions Monstrous ! Absurd! Pddiculous! Outrageous! ’ ‘All right, sonny; don’t get oif what little hair you have left. 'J here’s no 'compulsion, you know, You can take it or leave it.’ ‘ Take a beggarly halt a million ? esc’aimed the borrower. ‘Take a ■miserable five hundred thousand ? I never was so insulted—um—urn. 'Give me the money.’ 1 There it is, sonny, and I really believe I’m foolish to iet you have so much at par. Still you’re a good cus■tomer, and I mustn’t I o toe hard. If you’d come reasonably like Mr Now Zealand, and taken advice before die taring terms, we might have accommodated you with the lot.’ ‘The Colony <f Victoria,’ replied the Premier, putting the money in' his pocket, and drawing himself up proudly, ‘ does not allow itself to be dictated to.’ ‘ Then, ma boy, the colony ought to give up borrowing. Remember this, M istber Premier, that wheu one man vwauts to lioirow from another it’sh 'the fender dictates the teims Good•bye till next year.’ — Melbourne Bui • iletin.