CORRESPONDENCE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3723, 3 November 1906, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

j TO THE EDITOR.]

Sir. —1 enclose the following lines, if you can afford space for same. Yours in anticipation.—Billy the Jixgleh.

Old King Cole was a merry old soul, a merry old soul was he. He called for his glass and he called for his pipe, And he called for his syndicate three. He called for some rhymes; if some troublesome times Were to hap in this small town of ours; How they’d quell' any riot, restore peace and quiet By the use (here ho smiled) of their very great powers.

Quoth the first of the Three, “ If the men turn on me, Well—with majesty, pride, and with pomp, With hateur I’d pass, I’d see them cat grass. By the ghost of Titoki, I’d close down the swamp! ”

Number Two, of the Three, then bent on his knee. And spoke up right nobly grand, Intones true and bold, “You know that I hold This town in the grip of my delie ite hand; For all I need do—that’s betwixt me and you— To stay all this trouble with men, I’d just close my hand on our joint piece of land And shut down our flax swamp again,”

Said the last of the Three, “ I’m a leasehold M.P.,, And barrack, of course for Joe, worthy knight; But in memory’s chord, is my leader named Ward? It is Dick (rest his soul)—lt’s for him that I fight. He won admiration, for his Act “ Arbitration,’’ That would brighten the land with industrial peace. It has stayed strike and strife, ’twas the star of his life. And my song in the praise of this man can ne’er cease. But let me here tell, that’s all very well, So long as the men on my tail do not tread, For I’d yell loud and long, right lusty and strong, And like Number One, on grass see them fed; I’d see the men squirm, I’d remain fast and firm If they form any Union—We’d crush them—that’s straight— For the syndicate, see, of us wondrous Three, Would close down at once, our vast flax estate.”

But Old King Cole was a merry old

soul, A humorous cus was he, He knew very well, 'Twas no use to tell, That this township would be In the same state—you see— If that marvellous Three That includes one M.P., Were down with McGinty,— In the pretty blue sea.