Lines to the Editor.

Kawhia Settler and Raglan Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 365, 26 June 1908, Page 2

Lines to the Editor.

Sir,— l noticed in a recent issue a contribution i 1 rend appearing under the above heading. I don’t think for one brief moment that I can equal this young Naw Zealand Burns, but thought perhaps in your generosity jou might find space in your columns for a few lines of doggerel written ou the spur of the moment ana in c>nn«ction with n rising and important part of this vast district, formerly known as “ Snow/s Grlly,” but now that the place has become humanised and attracting no small share of attention locally, it is invariably described rs the “ Darling Downs.” It certainly is a splendid grass growing locality, but whetNbr it can equal its namesake la Queensland or not is largely a matter of opinion. Of course it wo: 'd take a lot of stretching of the imagination to connect the two places with regard to p .-ea. However, I have no hesitation in saying that taken a whole this district cornpar favourab o * r with—or should I say excels—all oth _ places around the harbjur for gra e produ c ‘ ing and fattening qualities, alas (and I say it) even Oparau. I often wonder why tbe tricks of fate That eo often on me frowns, Should place me here within & coo-ee Of the famous Dirling Downs. 1 if I was placid there I could live a life serene, For there’s really no denying, ’Tie the finest place I've seen. Very many virtues has is, But the.ciover is so long Ihat you cannot even faintly Biear the skylr ke merry song. I sometime:) stop to gaze on it, For batter, it seems to me, Than the land from which I’m exiled, Far away across tbe sea. 'Tia ttae there are no bu y mills, Such as those at Oparau, But the cockeye soon will busy be Ln a-milkingof the cow. Neither are there idle coal mines, Or fern bills with barren crowns, But, oh, thera’e a glorious future For these far-famed Dari' ig Downs, I never thought in days gonu by. Nor do I think so now, That there is any soil like this In romantic Oparau. Although its correspondent ofctimes writes Things that upset my brain. Why, even the bard “ Boil-d Matton ” Is nut familiar with hie name. —The Nam.

REPLY TO “ BOILED MUTTON BILL.” It’s hard to say who this poetic •• Boiled Matton Billy ” is, The Oparau correspondent may have seen his honest phiz., Smoking his black nose warmer beside hie Ere of wood, And Oparau Mac. is glad to hear hie writings did Bill good, The grass is fairly good right now, the abeep are getting fat, We had a trying time this year, but we can’t complain of that, Although the fire burned all our grass it cleaned np many luge. And now we ride right through our burns, which once we workel with doge. When writing your nice poem, Bill, there’s one thing you forgot, And whan I tell yju you will say ’tis the best spec of the lot; to mention kerosene is iadieated here. You better come and prospect and get a claim this year, And if you do strike ile, old chap, and have need to go to float, Just tip the wiuk to Oparau, so'e he 'll be in yonr boat. There’s dollars here for honest toil, and dol* lars here for push, We want the boys who're not afraid to come out into the bush.

[The above waa written on the and on the 21at the following additional line* were committed to paper. In fairnees alike to oar esteemed correspondent, our readers and. •' Boiled Mutton Bill ” (who musk recognise that he has been beatsu), we have decided to risk publishing the lot.J “ Boiled Mutton (headed) Billy ” wrote a poem on this part,

He tried to judge a better man and so he made a start. Now, “ Mutton Billy;’’ you must learn yonr judgments are not true, And before you criticise a bloke I’ll toll yon what to do— Just take that beam out of your eye and have another trip, And learn before you moralise that Oparau’a a snip. Because your part is poor and wet, That’s no reason yon should lie > On Oparau you’ve got a rot— You’ve other fish to fry. If you will kindly boil Your sleepy mutton head. Your brain will surely never spoil. For it is dull as lead. When you st a crying stinking fish The buyers all clear out: Yon cau’t sell against thoir.wish No matter how you shout. If you wish to get our aid. Why lend us yours right now, But J am very much afraid Your mutton b.*ain has been mislaid And you can’t find it now. You talk of halos, Sleepy Bill, And diadems on your brow , But you’ve got to eat Oparan’s pill, For Mac. has got you now. Next time to doggerel yon descend, Remember this, old chap, It's very easy to offend. But hard to till the gap caused by yonr silly verse, In mitre quite correct, bnt making Te Rau-a moa worse, And proving you've a set on Oparan, ths healthiest Of all places on this earth ; The cookies will be wealthiest When the L.K.G, proves its worth. Next time yon criticise a man Just put your name below, And let the public see you can Your true credentials show, —O.C. (afMv Otago's Bobby Buras). [Note. —Our compositor has had two days in bed eince setting tho above. Our life insurance premium is unpaid (note that, ye delinquents !) so these poets had perhare better writing.—Ed.]