HAT INGLEWOOD TELEGRAM.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 137, 1 June 1908, Page 3

HAT INGLEWOOD TELEGRAM.

An Inglewood telegram one day last week reported this event:—"Sir Joseph Ward passed through here aliout noon today. The Mayor and deputations were waiting to interview him, and it was understood he would stay here a short time, but all assembled had the mortification of seeing him pass through the. town at the rate of twenty miles an hour. The deputation then* dispersed with the cold satisfaction of seeing him raising his hat." Sir Joseph has since denied the story, but that will he even colder satisfaction to the Inglewood people, says "A Casual Chronicler'' in .Saturday's Dominion. It is understood that the Mayor's opinions are thus expressible:—

Was it for this that we do7ined our Sunday clothes, Awl gracefully greased our boots, and oiled our hair, And learned to stand in serried but humble rows Behind the Mayor!

Didn't ho say that he always lent liis ear,

In scorn rjf the people who hinted of motives low, To learn the wants of the backblocks' pioneer? Wasn't it so?

Didn'tJie travel from Hutt to Whunga-

Scattering words of cheer wherever he

went, Till steeped was hamlet and bush and lono highway In petrol scent?

Wc dreamed at, nights of the summoning motor-horn, Of a talkative Father Christmas in a car;

We pictured him as a sort of a human Corn-Ucopia.

We met and talked, and we carefully greased our boots, And the Mayor he studied his speech till lie got it pat. 'And all for what'; A couple of taunting toots And a lifted hat!

"He comes," We said, and our tutor, Curly Bui (M.C. he was at the Shearer's Annual Dance, And a regular corking cove when it came to drill), Said, "Boys, advance!"

'•Tout!" And a lifted hat, and we're left behind! But, after all, it's a genuine compliment; For he plainly thought that we hadn't an axe to grind, And so he went.