PASSING NOTES.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 8, 7 May 1920, Page 10

PASSING NOTES.

(By "Jacques.")

EXTRAOT FROM PAGE 6;

Like John Gilpin's wrife, the South Invercargill Council is frugal even in its pleasures. At its last meeting the matter of welcoming the Prince was under consideration, when one reckless, devil-may-care spendthrift proposed that the Borough should do it in style, to the extent of Twenty-five Pounds. There was a howl of horror at such criminal extra vagance (a Councillor explaining aimost tearfully that one ward was a proper subject for Charitable Aid, while the others hadn't enough to pay tram fares to work) and the proposed amount was promptly and enthusiastically reduced to Fifteen Pounds," including a banner." I don't know what a "banner" would cost in these profiteering days, but it is safe to assume that after it is paid for, and the cost of broidering a suitable inscription, such as: "Welcome (fifteen quids' worth of it) to our noble Prince," is met, there won't be much left for fireworks. As one of the Councillors observed : "he did not know much about these things, but somehow fifteen pounds has a funny look." So by the way, has the South Invercargill Council at times. It was this same body that, on a former occasion, when in vited to join a national prayer of thanksgiving, or something of that sort, said, in effect, that it had not thought much about it, and did not care a d— which way it went, but they were prepared to back up the main borough in whatever action it took. There's casualncss for you ! Reminds me of a Methodist Conference hmd some years ago '* Sydney, at which, after sundry other motions had bten disposed of, one gofl* tleman move-1 . "That a prayer be >• 17 offered to th> Almighty." Fortunitel; tho motion was carried but if it had beeB negatived — !