PURE POLITICS. Mr. Yerex, Apostle.

Free Lance, Volume VI, Issue 277, 21 October 1905, Page 6

PURE POLITICS. Mr. Yerex, Apostle.

A FEW thoughts expressed by Mi- Yerex, the budding statesman, at his meeting at the Lower Hutt, the other night, must arrest the attention of folks generally by their lucidity and originality. Mr. Yerex is about to depose Mr. Wilford — if he didn't believe himself able he wouldn't be "out.' 7 He said that temporary clerks in the public service for ten years had not had a chance to pass their examinations. There are many clerks who entered as temporary clerks who are now permanent civil servants by examination. However, that is a small matter. ♦ • • Mr. Yerex complained that the workers' homes idea of the Government was not original. "There is nothing new under the sun." It is a small objection. Even Mr. Yerex is not quite original. He said what we wanted was a better Minister of Education. We want Mr. Yerex. He was m favour of the abolition of Education Boards. Absolutely original, we assure' you ' It is gladdening to hear that "Prohibitionists are not in favour of closing hotels " Liquor selling and hotelkeeping are different things. ♦ • •» Mr. Yerex (for whom read "Prohibitionists") objects only to the "open bar." "Drink secretly' is his obvious advice. The most alarming statement of all mad© by the American gentleman was "the fact that publicans had to be licensed proved that the business was not a straight one.' Auctioneers have to be licensed, consequently they are dishonest. Cabmen have to be licensed. Out on them, the knaves ' A citizen has to be licensed to get married. Abandoned wretches ' Logic, thy name is Yerex ! • • • He wasn't in favour of compensation to publicans if prohibition was carried. Let 'era. rot ' Sweep away a man's means of livelihood, and let him begin at the bottom rung again It is humane. It is the sort of thing that ought to get a man a Premiership. Mr. Yerex was humorous on the gambling question. He said that Premier Seddon "encouraged the totalisator." Not long ago the Premier said he thought the machine ought to> be abolished. It is a thing the people love, and you cannot wipe it out in one act. It will go in time, and, if not while Mr. Seddon is Premier, assuredly when Mr. Yerex is. ♦ * * "Smoking is doing deadly work among the youth of the country," and the Premier was about to reduce

the duty on tobacco. Of course, the Premier is doing this with the set purpose of inducing boys to smoke, even though there is a Juvenile Smokers' Suppression Act in operation. Mr. Yerex's tables of youthful mortality and lunacy and so on, induced by smoking, were not produced. Why? But, after all, Mr. Yerex's championship of the "bottle m the cupboard" is the finest food for thought. But, because a Prohibitionist here and there fears that beer may become unobtainable, there are still whole-hearted "absoluters" who would rob even the Prohibitionist of his "tot."