THE PRICE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 282, 7 May 1915, Page 3

THE PRICE

A TRUE STORY. (London Punch.) Among tiu■ working classes they do speak rather seriously sometimes of the luyli price of .food. On tile 7.il .train the other morning, from somewhere in the east, the Subject engaged the attention of the railway compartment. "If read at .eightpcnce—and Britain mistress of tile seas! Scand'lous! Til:l.'ovor'mcnt ought to be ashamed. of 'entsches."

" 'Ark at old Charlie! What's the matter \vi' you this liiomiu', Charlie, my boy? Didn't .the missus give you any breakfast afoive you came out?"

"Never mind what missus give me. What gets over me is that there's blokes like you ti'll submit to it like bloomiu' kIiolj), afraid'to open your mouths. !f the ilovor'incut can lind ships to take its soldiers across the. Channel, and a!HI the. luxuries, they .get " " 'ivre, none of .that! You stop thai., young 'r else you get (lilted at the next station, if not before. Ain't that right, geii'lemen? Spcukin' (for meself, I'd a damn sight sooner pay eightpence for bread for my kids now tli,in 'ave to find fii-opence for 'em like I did last February ..and notliin' coniin' in."

"Yes, and where was you working overtime in February before, Charlie? Besides, it's worth payin' a bit extra to know the Xayser's getting it in the neck."

"Kayser? What's the work in' classes got to do with your Kaysers and Kings?" ''That puts the lid on. my son; next station, ami out you go. 'yo[; can give 'vour Keir 'Ardie chat to somebody else."

"Oh. leave 'ini alone. 'E ain't 'appy unless 'e's snlierin'. Wait till ''e's cariiin' four (jui.l a week, with all this over time 'e's gettin'—won't 'e 'ave somothin' to say about the income tax?" The man j;i the corner had bora listening, but had said nothing. He was older than any of the others. Now lie spoke. "You don't know what you're talk in' about,'' he said, almost contemptuciislr. "Who don't?"

"None of you don't.' You don't know 'ow much bread costs. Eightpence!" "Well, that's right, ain't it?"

"No, and I'll tell you the price of it. I've got my three bovs out there—at least, I had. One's in' hospital with his leg oil'—he'll be homo next week, due's ill the trenches—or was, when 1 heard last. And my Bill, he was on the Monmouth."

The train stopped. Nobody moved to put Charlie out, and nothing was said. 1 hen tile train went on; and presently the elderly man spoke ajiain: "Kight•pence! And what price, my boys? You don't know anythin' about" it. ' It ain't YOU that's payin'!'—Punch.