POLITICAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 873, 2 August 1910, Page 3

POLITICAL.

THE LEOPARD AND HIS SPOTS.

A little sermon was delivered to the Opposition on Friday by MrE. H. Taylor. Mr Taylor had commenced to point to an analogy between the Opposition in its policy and the criminal in the police court career, instancing the numerous aliases adopted by Mr Massey and his friends in their progress to the ultimate true Liberal designation. Mr Taylor was just proceeding to the old conundrum about the leopard and his spots when he was rudely interrupted by an Opposition interjection about Christian charity.

“I will tell the honourable gentleman what Christian charity is,” retorted the member for Thames. “Itis to look after the widow and the fatherless child, and keep himself unspotted from the world, and if the honourable gentleman will endeavour to keep himself unspotted he will have a bigger contract in hand than criticising this Government and finding the weak spots on this side. We do not pretend to be without spots, but these are bright and brilliant ones that lead the people on to prosperity, and are a light to lighten the darkness of the Conservative party.”

In an interview at Auckland, the Prime Minister said the progress of the session was most satisfactory. He expected the financial debate to conclude before the end of the week, and then the way would be clear for other important business- It was too soon yet to forecast the duration of the session, but it would last till at least the end of October.

Regarding advances to local bodies, Sir Joseph Ward stated that since the new scheme came into operation in February last, barely six months ago, between ,£850,000 and ,£1,000,000 had been granted in loans. ” There is,” he said, ‘‘ample money for all requirements, provided the security offered is satisfactory. Under the whole system the total amount available for all local bodies in the country did not exceed about ,£IBO,OOO a year.”