A-SCHEME THAT FAILED.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 June 1919, Page 3

A-SCHEME THAT FAILED.

AND AN OFFER THAT MISSED BRIBING THE WRONG MAN.

All these schemes for settling the soldiers must he expected to bring a few crooked intricacies in their train, for there is a- type of being who is on the look-out for something easy, and many of these cannot he said to he gifted with the faculties of either honesty of purpose or honestly of dealing. This evident fact that humanity is not always so innpeent as the angels is conveyed by a practical example hidden in a story that comes upon the best possible authority, and concerns the offer made to a politician. One day (says the Auckland Star) the politician, sitting at his desk, opened a letter that told of certain acres that were to he offered to the Government as a soldier settlement. These acres all seemed to he wonderfully rich, in fact they were especially designed and adapted by a benefieient Providence to settle soldiers upon, and they were to he offered at a cheapness that was positively incredible. Tho communicator besought the politician to use his influence towards getting the offer accepted, and intimated in tho most

casual sort of a way that there was a cheque of a cool thousand pounds awaitink this representative of the people when tho deal was definitely concluded

Blit it is fair to say that not every politician is crooked, in fact there are dozens of them who are as straight as day-light, and in this case flic man who made the offer had mistaken his mark. Anyway, this parliamentarian sought out the sender of the document and asked him, with a cunningly simulated sympathy, who was “in the swim,” end how much money was going out in ••|>e. !:s.” From tho vague and hazy relilies he gathered thal about two thousand pounds would cover all extras, and then he sailed into the land-holder, telling him straight that those extra two thousands, coming from the Government, would have to he paid by the soldiers who might he settled on tho acres in question, provided of course, that the Government would buy them. Then he told the man who offered the bribe that before the Government would consider his offer this two thousand would have to he cut off the price, with another thousand as well, so that there would not lie such a big inducement to sell. So far nothing further lias been hoard of the offer.