OUR MEMBER.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3799, 1 May 1891, Page 2

OUR MEMBER.

A Bush-Wrecked Party'

The Catholic Times of this week contains the following :—From an esteemed subscriber in Masterton, whoso only fault is a red, raw adicalisin of a violent hue, we have received the following affeoting letter ;

" Sir, —Oil Thursday last our worthy member left Masterton at the inyitation of the Premier to accompany the Ministerial party in the trip to Pahiatua. When we bid him good bye be was a representative of whom any district might be proud ; a black cloth suit set o$ his niauly form, and a splendid white sl»irt did justice to his manly bosom. But, sir, when -18 hours later he returned to us, we hardly knew him. Was the limp, unkempt object that presented itself oar membir ? It was ! But then he had gone through much in these forty-eigbt hours; he *'/iad been bush-wrecked with banquets, and it was a, won4er we got him back at all. It may be nil very well for old campaigners like the Miuisters to face such perils, but inexperienced country members ought not to be funketed to death. We cannot afford to lose pur respected M.H.R., and f the Premier should again iudulge in triumphal celebrations in the bijsh, I hope he will not insist upon out representatweaccompanying him and sharing the perils of the expedition. —Yours, etc., —A Mastehton .Lib ERALi

We are really surprised at Mr Balance's thoughtlessness, to use no harsher term. He, no doubt, is well seasoned to bush travel, to bush festivities, and to bush whiskey warranted to Jiill at IQOQ yardg. But the member for Masterton is $ tender, ingenuous, simple, unseasoned vessel, of an innocence aud artlessness only to be found in those who have never been brought into contact with a rude rough world. As we picture tho member fori Masterton setting out upon hiu fatal journey, in his decent Sabbath best, wearjng, it may be a posy in his artless and expansive cheek ; and when we picture the same member returning with his little ehirt crumpled, and perhaps, through want of sleep and general fatigue, a "head on him," the drops of manly emotion stand iu our eye—and we arc not ashaped of theuj. At tlfe same time we fail to see what we can do to aid our correspondent and his member against a repetition of bujli a calamity. Could not, on future similar occasions, some staid aud responsible person occompany the member ? Perhaps an elderly female would be his best guide, philosopher, and friend. How would a mother-in-law do ?