THE WEEK, THE WORLD, AND WELLINGTON.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9097, 25 May 1908, Page 6

THE WEEK, THE WORLD, AND WELLINGTON.

(By Frank Morton.)

Tub Strangeness of Premier Bent — j This Incsnskd Monopolists—Carters and Coupons. ! premier Bent of Victoria, having Clocked Womanhood Suffrage in his state to the best of his ability and made contemptuous referenced to the movement from his place in Parliament, has naturally fallen under the ban of the Women's Suffrage Committee, whicn now appeals to the electors to call upon Mr Bent to resign. Into the general matter of the political deairuS of women I shall not go. With all my and a little of my heart, I have always believed in Womanhood Suffrage. It is a theory fortified by many logical defences. As to its practical value and permanent benefit, the experience of New Zdulaid nas made some people extremely dubious; but that also is a i point apart. The women have called upon Mr Bent ti resign. Mr Bent certainly will not resign: not though all the woman on earth ca'led on him to do it. And that is a pity. One of the things it is most difficult to forgive Victoria is—Premier Bent. It is a mystery how he ever won his premiership; and it is a greater mystery how he has managed to retain it. Hj is not what you call a nice man, and he is in no sense a bt'illi.mt or accomplished man. His manners are even less charming than Jiis appearance. He seems to have a'll the disabilities that block the path to public prominence in most other parts,of the world, and none of the distinguishing qualities that equip mm for the public service. In short,' Mr Bent's sole apparsnt qualification for Australian politics consists ir. the fact that he has a measureless capacity of arrogance and a singularly brutal tongue. He owes his position, one assumes, solely to the fact that he is a bitter and consistent opponent of Socialism. In the state politics of Victoria, Socialism is outcast by the majority; and so the majority is willing to keep the impossible Mr Bent in power simply because the impossible Mr Bent is the bitterest and l&ast scrupulous enemy of Socialism in Victorian , politics. ******

The introduction of motor-buses to Dublin has not been without accident. The cab-drivers assembled in line of battle, there , was serious fighting, and many arrests were made. There is a sort of early Victorian flavour about the whole episode. As the cabs in Dublin oppose the motor-buses, so the coaches once opposed the trains; and so (in a more peaceful atmosphere) grave old gentlemen once asserted that it was "idiotic" to suggest that any man could ever write with a steel pen. The Dublin cabmen had a little monopoly, and they objected to competition in their own field, as is the immemorial habit of monopolists. ; However constantly we may war against trusts and rings, bodies of men will for ever be running together to f jrm monopolies of this or of that. That is human nature. And whenever a, monopoly is threatened in Dublin,/ there will probably be broken heads and "many arrests." That also is human nature—in Dublin. * * * * * * . "These coupons is no cop for us," said the Carter. The dusk had faded into a night of lead, and the Carter, hours behind time, protested volubly against the customers' rebuke. . He said he cauldn't help it. He said he liked to finish his work early, same's any other man, but it was them coupons as did it. "But," said the Customer, "the public has taken quite kindly to the coupons. The paper says so. There is no more trouble." The Carter scoffed. 4 "Look,'ere," he said, "don't you take any notice o' the papers. Lars' week, when we fuss' started with the coupons, it was awful. Ev'ry 'ouse I went to, I had to explain. I'm paid to deliver bread, not to explain ; but I 'ad to do it. ' The bad eggs was worst of all. Lots o' the customers growled, a:i' nearly all of 'em wasted time chinnin' about it; but the bad eggs was all terrible insulted. One woman drove mo out of her yard. She said it was outrageous, an' the police oughter interfere. Moat of 'em seemed to think as Parliament 'd have to do something. It was what they called payin' in advtfnce as seemed to 'urt 'em most; and when 1 explained as they could pay in cash ev'ry morin' if they liked that better, it didn't do'no good. Of course, some o' the real old-timers is sly. They'd all enjoyed their bit o' credit, even them as paid reg'lar. They had an idea as they was being got at. If us carters had 'ad men to deal with, we shouldn't 'a' got through without broken 'eads on both Bides. We had to waste time at every place we went to. Nine cases out of ten in some streets, when the lady 'ad talked it out, she found as she hadn't got change, I had change, because the boss had provided for that sort o' thing. When I said I had change, half of 'em didn't know which skirt they'd left their purse in. I could give 'em the coupons, and wouldn't it do next morning?—some of 'em said nex' week. I said it waildti'tdo. Then there'd be some mure talk. Then'tne good customers, them aa made no fuss, all growled because we was late. I don't wonder. I finiihed the first day at eleven o'clock. Don't you take no notice o' the papers. The trouble'a not over yet. I have about twenty on my rojnd as argues.it out with me again ev'ry day. "Like it? Well, o' course the carltu-d Ml like it, when it begins to work right. Under the old system of credi; there were somo customers as you couldn't keep paid up to date. It whs no use talkin' to 'em. Once they got behind, they neveiv would pull up again, and a good many of 'am to keep on gettin' a bit more behind. You don't know much about women till you've carted bread. Y u can be ps firm as you J like, but some of 'em 'd talk the teeth,out rr yer 'ead, 0' course, when a slow payer got be'ind, the bosses 'd blame us. And if we cut up and refused to deliver without the cash, they'd get another baker, an' we could whistle for what was owin'. Then the bosses 'd get onto us again, I

because they don't like to summons an' they don't like to lose custom. I tell you, bread-cartin' was no cop, at the best o' times. Once the change catches on, and it is all coupon or cash, it 'll be better for all parties. "Mind you, there'll always be some trouble; because women is women, an' there's no gettin' away from it. There is times when the best I housekeeper 'appens not to 'ave three bob in the house, and when you can't oblige a good customer they feels it's pretty 'ard. And then there's always some as Ml forget where they put their coupons. "I hud a lady like that yesterday. She's all right, as fur's,, pay's concerned, an' she didnt' make no trouble about the coupons at the start. But yesterday she didn't know wnere she'd put 'em, and when I said she might'd well pay cash till she found 'em, she flared up a good un'. She said she'd give me two days' coupons together nex' time. I said it couldn't be done. 0' course, it couldn't, you know. If we once started any hanky-panky wi' the coupons, it'd be worse than the old style. Well, that lady went on a treat before she paid cash. She says she'll get 'er bread elsewhera, an' if she docs it's ten to one as I get the blamo for it. I never 'eard so much talk in me life as I've 'eard this las* ten days, an' that's a fact. It's give me the lair 'ump!" He went away whistling, rie is a cheerful soul, so that even the " 'ump " doesn't seem to depress him overmuch. ' ,