THE FARRIERS’ BILL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1871, 28 September 1906, Page 3

THE FARRIERS’ BILL.

(Special to Times Wellington, last night. Mr Major’s two pel subjects in Parlia ment are "Lamps on Vehicles” and 11 Farriery.” This “ Farrriers Bill ” orops up onoe a year, and withers away as quickly as it appears. Mr MoLachhn says he calls them blacksmiths, but tho member for Hawera prefers the Frenob deviative. Aeked for a general explanation oi tho term, Mr Mojor explained that a farrier was one who bad a knowledge of fotriery, and farriery was the knowledge of shoeing horses properly. Mr Izard at an early stage made the discovery that

the mao in obarge of the Bill had foceottin the machinery clauses of this Bill, Me Thomson wanted to know what wsb to be come of " the handy man ” in the hack blooks, who oonld not qualify under the Bill. "You qualify a dooior,” he said, «and he kills you, but yon can’t get damßgcs.” He might have added that if vou did get them under suoh ououmstanoes they would not be of much use to vou, but the burden of his complaint was that if you qualified a blacksmith you would not be able to get damages ont of him if he shod your horse badly. Mr Heke, the Maori member, early in toe evening beoame concerned about the planner In which the human foot was

shod. He also bco.uoo oonoernoJ about horsos’ teeth, and urged Mr Major to mnk-3 provision in his Bill for tho registration of 11 horse doutists." Tbo discussion meandered on in this fashion, giving tho literatii from tho back blooks on opportunity to air their eloquence. One man wont tho length of quoting Latin, 11 modus operandi,” and his follow members chorused their approval. A now representative. who has displaced ono of tho most scholarly members of tho last Parliament, used plum! nouus with singular vorbs, and a suburban representative oonvulaod the Homo by la'king about an 11 ar biter ” with tho emphasis on tho " bite.” Tno oentext showed that tho hon, member means an 11 arbiter.” Mr Dillon made several horoio protests against " 600 rnuoh legislation.” A man would soon not bo ablo to pul a sole on his own shoo without an Act of Parliament. Eventually the Bill got through in a mangled and not very satisfactory foim, and tho House rose after ano'her wasted evening.