HONE JOINS THE LABOUR PARTY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2426, 9 May 1922, Page 2

HONE JOINS THE LABOUR PARTY.

Hone sauntered leisurely iuto the editorial sanctum, and tendered his usual greeting as he helped himself to (tobacco, and asked for a match. “Pleased to see you, Hone. I thought you were komate! Sit down.’’ \

“Elia rai te meat” (“It is not the case.”) “I hope to lif te long time yet pefore you eat te,kai at Hone’s tangi. Te funny ting happen, Mitta Edita. Hone maka join te Labour Early. Pay half-crown for te ticket. Werra, I dunno pout it. Hone te member alright, and go to te meeting, but Hone can’t vote for le Pakelia member Paremata isn’t it?”

“No, you can only vote for the Maori candidate, Hone.” “Tat te way I link, too. But te pakeha terra me, ‘You belonga te big Labour Party, Hone. Tis te party your best friend.’ Bymby, te Red Fed he te boss tis country, and cwerypody, pakeha and Maori, he to same. Te railway, te post oppit, te pub, te whenua (land), le shop, oweryting belonga te people. Te wahine, if he don’t like te husban’, werra, he get te change, too. My wurra, Repecea he no like tat! Kwerypody get te kai, te whare, te jocter, (e kurn for te kid, te noo clothes, for nutting. Py'kripe! tat te best Gowerment. I te member te Labour Party alright. Tat te phell< r! It' Hone want your motor kaba, Werra, lie get te pallot, apd if te lin I lot say Hone haf te kaba, you must gif. Kapai!” Well, TTone, your faith in the party is wonderful! You believe that nten should have all tilings in common. But you don’t understand human nature or economic conditions. The Labour Party is building a house on shifting sand. All the things you have been hearing is llie talk of visionaries.” “No fear! 1 te member, l pay* le half-crown. I got te ticket. Tallinn, I gel te diwidcnd. T go le meeting pick le man for Paremata. Pv kripe, we get te prcnly talk alright. Some pheller say if te people not vole for te Labour Party he get te fioycott. I say, Mitta Edita, what le boycott ?”

“Well, Hone, ‘boycott’ is a halfbrother to ‘sabotage,’ and is used to bludgeon or intimidate people in order to bring them into line. “Spose Hone say Mitta Smit, ‘I no buy any more noo (dollies for te missus iuid kid in your shop if you not join te Labour Party,’ tat te boycott ?” “That’s it, Hone.” “Werra, Hone no like te boycott. I lose te maim. My people newer tight wit te boycott. I must terra te Labour Party no tarn good te boycott. I come see you again after te meeting. Ila ere a hi, Epeepe (I depart, my distant relative).”