Heard and Said

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 76, 23 August 1912, Page 1

Heard and Said

That the British War Office is said to have issued an order regarding certain machine guns issued to Territorial battalions. That, where possible, mules are to be employed to draw the guns; but, the order proceeds, "when a mule is not available, any intelligent non-com-fliissioned officer may be employed instead." That "Hansard" costs the people of New Zealand about £5000 per annum in salaries, apart from printing, which costs £4000. flint the cost of "Hansard" is altogether out of proportion to its benefit to the country. JThat save far the politicians themselves and a few duty-cursed pressmen u<> one ever has the hardihood to read the costly and colossal compilation of Parliamentary cackle. That in one way and another the people pay very dearly for the "services" of pettifogging politicians. That if "Hansard" were wiped completely out of existence it would be one of those things that "never would be missed," while its abolition would help to put a stopper on the loquacity of many M.P.'s. That the Wellington Opera House could be filled twice over each night during the pantomime season. That an elastic theatre would be a great boon every time an attraction like "Sinbad the Sailor" comes along. That the world's a bakery—it roasts its thinkers and toasts its jokers. That if the United Labor Party really desires to abolish strikes, it should join in and organise on the One Big Union principle. That if all the workers were linked up in one cohesive, class-conscious organisation, strikes would then cease, the threat being quite sufficient" to secure their demands. That they call it "strong drink" even if it's vended by a landlord who has been fined for watering his rum. . >fKyft--tivTf is. not a white .*•. in the Northern Territory of Australia. That the question id: Who will he first with t ; lie> last. ■That an audience is like a wheel—the jonger the spoke the greater the tire. That the reason Darwin is so unpopular is because h© took all the glory out of pedigrees. •Th.it a determined fighter in the Federation of Labor is as sure to encounter .abuse mid calumny as he who gallop* furiously through a village niir.-t reckon on being followed by the curs in full cry. That the Australian cricketers have Ueii performing very iu-and-outly of .late. 'J'aat iJie almost incessant rain this senson in Sngland is enough to demoralise any Australian cricket team. That the English weather of this summ?r is only a trifle less execrable than tiie New Zealand variety this venter —and you all know how damntable that is. thi> inaugural ceremony in conn«*tion with the commencement of the railway line from South to Western Australia will take place next i<r.onth. Thfit Governors and Prime Ministers of modern days have a better time than Adam. I'tiufr Adam had no luck with his little ceremonies. That it is doubtful if there was even one person present when lie turned the first sod. Tliti't it is a wily move to appoint a woman to the post of customs inspector at Boston, Mass., U.S.A. That jie.r work is to watch society ■women' smugglers, and only a woman could be up to their tricks or know .where their pockets are. Thn-fr the Gis'borno Laborers' Union ha 3 entered an emphatic protest auaiiJet the Government's proposal to construct public works by the contract system. That strong representations are to br> made with a view to maintaining the present systems of co-opera-7i,*e and day labor. Thrt the Gisborne union hopes, with the of all kindred bodies, to solidify public opinion on the question. Tli at for attempting to set fire to a

Dublin theatre, Mary Leigh and Gladys Fjvans. two militant suffra-o-ettes, have each been sentenced to five years' imprisonment. That the first-named, on hearing her sentence, cried: "It is frightful! If 1 live to come out of jail, I will commit further crimes. It is better to be a convict than voteless.' ' That women, by being denied the franchise, are undoubtedly treated now as if they belonged to the same stratum of society as convicts, lunatics and a few others who are debarred from voting. That it is to be hoped that long before the five years expires woman suffrage will' be the law of the land in Britain, America, and other like backward countries, and all suffragettes then serving sentences be straightway let out of "quod."