OUR POLITICIANS.

Northland Age, 11 October 1904, Page 3

OUR POLITICIANS.

“ LIKE A LOT OF LAMBS.” Mr. Taylor (Christchurch City): The Gov< rnmenfc supporters were like* a lot of lambs. They were even tamer than the average lamb, because the average lamb did kick sometimes out of pure joy, but the Government supporters gave not the slightest sign that they had the leaijt life left in their political body.

NO ADMINISTRATORS. Sir W. R. Russell (Hawke’s Bay): It seemed to him the Government had now fallen into an inert condition. There were a number of Ministers, but.no administrators. They had the bodies of several gentlemen sitting on the Ministerial benches, but there was not a soul amongst the lot of them. As the number of Ministers had increased the power of work diminished until, upon his soul, he did not know where the Government of the country was going to.

NOAH’S ARK COLLECTION. Mr. Moss (Ohinemuri): He was not surprised to hear the Premier refer to their health as not being quite as good this session as last. At the back of this building there was a Noah’s Ark collection of animals in an enclosure. These animals were in a most disgraceful condition. They would see cattle there hardly able to move about, sheep suffering from diseases of all kinds, direputablelooking poultry and pigs and other animals kept within a few feet of the building in which members sat. When he first saw this collection he thought the animals were being kept for the use of Bellamy’s, and sustained rather a shock,' as he had been accustomed to take some of- liis meals there. On further inquiry he found that these animals, suffering from all sorts of mysterious diseases, were there for the purpose of being experimented upon by the Health Department. Why he asked this question was that last Monday he,.went to the tennis-court in the parliamentary grounds, where he was in the habit of taking what little exercise he could, and he found the court fenced off, the gate looked, and inside the court a curious-looking object. At first sight it seemed to be a new kind of hat-rack for the tennis-players, but on closer examination it turned out to be an elderly white horse with a cover on, making a painful effort to preserve its balance on two legs. The Health Department had no right to keep animals of this description in the vicinity of the House. The Hon. Sir J. G, Ward said the Health Department had nothing to do with it.

Mr. Moss asked, what Department had ? The Hon. Sir J. G. Ward said it was the Lands Department.

Mr. Moss did not know who owned the elderly ruin, but it eyed him in a sad, reproachful maimer, and then made a frantic effort to get over the fence. He came to the conclusion that this horse might be suffering from shock at finding itself in such company.