Political Fun.

Manawatu Herald, 25 July 1893, Page 2

Political Fun.

• Mr Buchanan was much exercised, probably is now, at the hon. John McKenzie having given a reaper* and-binder agent a certificate of its excellence over the statement that he was " Minister of Agriculture." Mr Buchanan appears to be the agent for another firm of jnanufactures, and he desired to knojraijid for that purpose put the question upon the Order Paper " whether it is true that he signed the testimonial to the efficiency of the — reaping-and-binding machine as a responsible Minister of the Crown." The blank above contained the name of the firm but we have no desire to assist the Minister in further advertising the machine. The Hon. J. MoKenzie, A was ready to say a great deal except that which he was desired to say 1 the Speaker ruling that *< the Minister could give any reply hi pleased, whether it was satisfactory to the honorable gentleman or not." The Premier, ready to have hii little say, thought the House should not be made ths mMhinery by

which reapers and binders were advertised, which enabled Sir John Hall to retort " neither should the office of the Minister of Agriculture." The present Ministry have permitted the abomination of selling the backs of postage stamps and telegram forms for advertising, and also proposed selling the blank spaces on the telegraph poles, so that advertising is distinctly in their line. If the Minister of Agriculture is going to hawk his name and title fdr f business purposes the House shduld see that any revenue deriveable therefrom became a portion of the revenue of the colony. The introduction of " The Small Debts Prevention Bill " enabled some members to accuse the wives of the population as being more given to getting into debt than the husbands. Other members properly stood up for the fair, Mr Meredith was one of them and said "he thought the honourable gentleman, in giving expression to this opinion, must have had in mind a very old rhyme, which ran as follows : — God bless our wives— they fill onr hives With little bees and honey ; They mend oar socks, they smooth life's shocks Bat do'nt they spend the money ! We have given an instance of the Minister of Agriculture rushing to affix his name, and title tq the list of testimonials pf a machinery agent, now we. find the Hon. Me W.; P. Reeves by his introduction of " The Shipping and Seamen's Bill " bein * accused of doing so, so that he might write up his name, as the benefactor of the seamen. He would it was said, be writing his name on every life-buoy in the colony " W. P. Reeves, the Universal Emancipator. The Hon. J. McKenzie made a very savage attack on the Union Steam Ship Co. during the discussion of the above Bill, fie declared that the servants of the Company paid great attention to any one holding th? title of " Honourable " bat they did not do that to everybody, and especially not to people who were not dressed up in very fine clothes, and people who were not in a position to give them tips. He, (the great Minister) could •trajvel about very comfortably if he had plenty of money with which to tip people, and he would get the best of attention ; but everybody was not treated like that. Mr M. J. S. McKenzie put the Minister's attack on about its true lines, that the Bill was a measure of punishment for the Company's conduct during the last maritime strike. He went on to say, as reported in that interesting volume; Hansard, ; " Then the Minister in oriticism of this trading measure — Member— He ought to have taken a bottler,! pi : pickles. : M.[ J. B. McKenzie— said his houotuable friend made & perfectly true remark. The honourable member, to protect .himself against the stewards and others, should have taken a bottle of pickles with him, and. then there would have been none of this Bill as a punishment. He should have taken the law into his own hands. He then went on to tell — J. McKenzie^- The pickles they had were rotten. M. J. S. McKenzie said that in that case they would have suited the honourable gentleman all the better,