PAPERSPAST

THAT STATUS AGAIN.

Getting Ready for Dotmybrook Fair.

The Statue patriots are evidently .spoiling for a fight. Their war-cry is 'Loyalty,' and it only wants a little play [with the Bhillelagh to complete the reaemblanoe to Donny brook Fair. What is the eapkle all about ? Simply this : that the principal barrackera for the Queen's Statue have become quite rb abusive as the proverbial fish fag towards the Military Tournament people because they won't hand over those funds to get that precioaa statue out. of difficulties. As for the Rev. Wm, Beatty, he appears to have the hysterics rather badly. How else oan one account for the manner in which he lets himself go in the calling of names ?

The volunteers are disloyal, forsooth ! They have insulted the first lady of the realm ! So treasonable are they, in fact, that the Rev. William actually suggests that in five years' time they may be ready to turn the arms with which they have been entrusted for the defence of the. country against the liberties and rights of Her Majesty's subjects. More than that, the Tournament people have committed a. breach of faith with the citizens, and are dragging Auckland through the mud ! What would Mrs Partington say to this ' choice derangement of epitaphs ?'

But, after all, what unmitigated balderdash to proceed from a minister of the

Gospel. Is this his message of peace and goodwill to ali men which he has reserved for Merry Christmas? Are these the lessons of charity that he enforces ? And is this the way to inculcate a love for truth ? It strikes as that Mr Beatty's Celtic impulsiveness has ran away with his cooler judgment, and that when this fiery ebullition of statuesque loyalty has spent its heat he will be able to see that he has made himself look decidedly foolish.

What has the collection of funds for a brazen effigy of the Queen got to do with the question of one's loyalty to the throve ? Absolutely nothing. This sordid quarrel over the moneys held by the Tournament Committee is but a belated recrudescence of the newspaper strife which hid its rise in the Jabllee oommemoration. The Herald took the initiative in the movement for celebrating the Record Eeign by setting up a statue of Her Majeßty. It suggested this form of commemoration, and gave it a start. This was altogether too much for the Star. It wasn't going to be extinguished by the Herald, and so it poured unlimited cold water on the statue project, and called upon the people to reserve their subscriptions for its own pet scheme of a Children's Hospital. It was the best thing it could thi nk of to put the Herald's nose out of joint. And so the shindy began. Since then, it has been a case of ' Pall Devil, Pull Baker,' all through, with occasional intervals for rest and refreshment.

We sympathise with the Tournament people. They have been abused by both sides. And in deciding to hand over the funds to the local charities they are devoting them to purposes which Her Majesty expressly sanctioned and advised; "Why should a minister of the Gospel, of all people, object to such a disposition of the funds ? Sorely the relief of suffering, the cherishing of the widow and the orphan, and the Buccooringof the poor and needy is a more blessed work than the erection of a Btatue of braßß to a Queen whose beat monument is the life she has led and who has graven her image deep on the hearts of her people. .

The impeachment of the loyalty of the volunteers is a mean and spiteful aot quite unwarranted by any facts. They axe soady, and ever have been, to attest their loyalty by deeds whenever the emergenoy

arises, and not by mere lip service. A truce to all this fanfanonade. If Auckland haa been dragged through the- mud over this Diamond Jubilee commemoration squabble, it is solely doe to the efforts which some people have been making to attain their own self-glorification. Let the malcontents have their Donhybrook Fair -to themselves. The great body of the people are quite indifferent, and, along with them, the Obsebvek exolaims: 'A plague o' both your houses.'

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