The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE MONDAY, JULY 10, 1916. A RETROGRADE PARLIAMENT

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 160, 10 July 1916, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

MONDAY, JULY 10, 1916. A RETROGRADE PARLIAMENT

(With which is incorporated The Tal hape Post and Waimarino News.)

The general lampooner of mankind may find plenty of exercise for his zeal and wit in the evolution of political strategy as observed in the New Zealand Parliament, for even the leadeis among our statesmen and politicians are, evidently, not overburdened with those virtues which are absolutely imperative in building up a history of which any country may feel some pride* The events which have happened in Parliament in this last week or two would, if some correct disposition could be contrived, present a picture of unexampled variety and irresistible instruction. It is said that when an offer was made to Themistocles ot teaching him the art of memory, he replied, that he would rather wish for the art of 'forgetfulness, and it goes without saying that every honourable man in this country, be he whatever side of politics he may must wish that the disgusting trickery and Billingsgate behaviour that is becoming too frequent, both among Ministers and members, in Parliament, where it is less forgivable or less to be condoned than in any other place. Only recently a Minister of the Crown received a rebuke which, though in an unpardonable form, was

certainly well-earned. The Minister not being equipped either by nature ■ or accomplishment to continue the ■ wordy war of vituperation -he himself had commenced and had for some time persistently followed, determined upon trying a method of settlement that was in vogue in the far distant days of man’s stone age. He left the ■ J House and laid wait at the lobby door till his self-made opponent appeared. He is a huge man, but that did not deter the much smaller one from resent* 1 ing the low-down physical forces which had commenced to come upon h-m. There was no help for it, ho was either to be pushed and punched about or adopt the Minister’s methods, and without more ado he —-in prlsoriug parlance —sailed m and would have given the burly Minister a right down good thrashing but for r,he intervention of other members who by this time nad been attracted by the noise and scuffle. Each was led to realise the disgrace he was bringing upon Par.lament, and deponent sayeth that the Minister and member shook hands, and the former, to seal his good intentions, invited the whole crowd into P.ellamys, and the curtain came down on the scene being finished quite—we understand ■—in the orthodox way in which s’reel brawls are usually concluded if the police are not near enough to interfere. A week or two ago some members of the Government put up a i obsequious member to move a bogus amendment which would have the effect of pieventing all further speech and rritijcism. Members deplored such tactics, but they allowed the incident to pass, the newness of it exercising rather a quietening effect. Lairing last week, however, the same tactics .were adopted in a much more contemptible form, and to a much more dishonest degree In fact there is no words in our vocabulary that are capable of adequately pourtrayjng the infamous trickery adopted to render dumb men whom the country has sent to evolve its laws. Even if the despicable, dng-.’adi ig, drifting of the Reform portion of Hie National Cabinet ended there :t would matter little, but the intent of their muzzling tactics was to set up a posiion of shame. The Premier’s action had been so timed that the result would have been that a liberal Minister in charge of the Education Estimates would be made to .suffer in the eyes of the country, while the real culprit took covfcr under his mean invention, but the House rose up in firms and the Premier 'had- to "consent to the withdrawal of the bogus muzzling amendment. Mr Wiiford pointed out that the Premier’s behaviour was but a poor return for the Hnus-s allowing almost every | measure, l to go through without question. The verbatim report of this disgraceful episode leaves no doubt about the true position; it is altogether too obvious -despite, denials, excuses and accusations., ,• ,t>ne ot England’s greatest men has said that there i 3 no crime more infamous than the violation of truth. It i ; apparent that men can be social beings ho longer than they believe each other. When speech is employed only as the vehicle of falsehool, every man must disunite himself from others, inhabit his own cave, and seek prey only tor himself, yet this law of truth broken every minute, without Hesitation and on the most miserable pretexts by even the men in whom the country has reposed its trust. A Cabinet in which an undercurrent of dislopaly and insincerity is obvious, cannot long remain a useltul ins titution and the sooner the sham and humbug of it all are disclosed and brought to an end the sooner will the interests of the people take a place ahead of the interests of individual office hangers

After wandering for days without food, a Sittingbourne bank dork, a conscientious ■objector, was found on Saturday in a wood some miles away, very much exhausted. An incident at. the Wellington wharf, where the Japanese cruisers a e berthed: Enter a lady, who b.'ashing ly presents a bundle of postcards to the smiling. Japanese sentry on guard, and lingers in expectation of some memento in return; lint this not being forthcoming, reluctantly retires, kissing her hand several times to the sentry. Sentry then excitedly beckons lady back, and proffers a number of cigarettes, which she indignantly rejects. Lady: “These are no good to me.” Sentry: "You go, you go (imitating the action of removing and returning cigarette to mouth). Youi want cigarette!” Exit lady in confusion amid laughter of croud. A cable message from New York to a London journal states: Ihe igcl papers disclose details of a German plot to stir np Japan against the bnited. States. They contain reports by three German agents in Japan, and give details of their woik of instilling sentiments of hatred in the Japanese against the United States. Ihe documents also contain infoimation which corrobatos the reports that Germany is responsible tor instilling illfeeling in Mexico against the United States. Thb documents, which, were decoded by means of Count von BernstorfC’s code-book, found among the papers, show clearly how deeply implicated is the German Ambassador in the plot.

Tenders are invited for thfe borough rubbish and nightsoil contract, which will be received by the. Town Cleric up till 4 p.m. on Wednesday, I9th July. Particulars may be seen at the B'orough Council Office.

The Hon. Johnston, Speaker of the Legislative Council, -has received a cable intimating that his son, Captain O. R. F. Johnston, was killed in action on July 2nd. He was serving with the Middlesex regiment.

“Credit to whom credit is due,” and it is due to Messrs H. D. Bennett and Co., who have inaugurated their cash trading policy in order to reduce the cost of living. Their announcement in this issue of the “Times” tells of the advantages they offer.

A grand patriotic ball is to be held in Boole's Hall, Utiki, on Friday, July IJth, under the auspices of the Utiki and Ohutu Social and Patriotic Club. It is understood that most reprice of admission is kept low so that quirements are , being donated, and the everyone may be present.

On Friday evening the staff of the Tiki Brewery Company, Ltd., foregathered to bid farewell to Mr S. Harrison, who has left the employ of the company to take up a position in Marton. The secretary (Mr A. Ross), on behalf of the staff,‘made a presentation to Mr Harrison, and in so doing wished him every success in his new venture.

The many friends throughout the Taihape district of Mr Frank Stubbing, of Rangiwaea, will regret to learn that his late wife passed away at the Ruanui Hospital, Taihape, on Sunday. The deceased lady leaves a husband and large family to mourn their loss. The funeral is to leave St. Margaret’s Church on Tuesday afternoon, at 2 o’clock, for the Taihape Cemetery.

'Another of those fine productions by the “Famous Players’ Company,” and .one of the best comedies shown here, entitled “Mrs Black is back.” It is a lengthy picture of 5000 feet, and there is not a dull moment in the whole length. Mrs Black is thirty-six. She married a professor, and told him she was twenty-seven. That is all the harm she ever did. But afterwards — Oh •my! Come and see for yourselves the result. There is a delightful supporting programme, and to miss seeing Mrs Black you miss something good.

The Minister for Public Health has had a return prepared showing the oc-

currence of infectious diseases during last month throughout the Dominion. It gives the following totals.—Scarlet fever, .467 cases; diphtheria, 257; enteric fever, 71; tuberculosis, 58;- blood poisoning, 16; -cerebro-Amial meningitis; 2; infantile ; paralysis;:! 16; The meningitis’ cases', occurred in the Wellington district. Apart from those, decreased returns arc shown in. every

instance in comparison with the previous month. Scarlet fever cases (1(5(1) have mostly occurred in the Auckland district, while Wellington is highest in diphtheria (1(53). There were 54 cases of enteric fever in Auckland, and 14 in Wellington.