Whispers From Wellington.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 390, 29 October 1903, Page 5

Whispers From Wellington.

(By «• Sentinel.") The question of Preference to Unionists is one of those that the Premier will have to deal with next session or the Labor Party will be wanting to know the reason why, At the present time the Trades Councils of the Colony, all unionists, are practically those responsible for the labor acts on the Statute Book; and all Unions are left to the tender mercies of the ArbitraCourt Judge as to whether they will get preference or not. Why should this be ?.. Why should any foreigner be allowed to enter this Colony with a trade and start straight away working against a unionist (who for years has worked and paid his fees to his Uuion) and get the benefits that the unionist now enjoys, The stranger or nonunionist does not care two-pence for the Unions; he doesn't join, but still he gets all the«ream off the laws and conditions that the. unionists have helped to create. It's a case of being * hjs brother's keeper," and the Unionists keep the blacklegs who are too mean to pay a sixpence a week to join a Union. /.

It would be very much better if the member for Mt Ida would pay more attention to the wants of his district than heckling the Premier and getting sat upon. If Mt Ida wants to look around at the Civil Service let him cast his eye on a certain pompous volunteer official in Wellington, who has got a fat Government billet himself, and has his three sons provided for likewise. One of the latter was thrown out when trying to pass as a trooper for the late war, but was ultimately, by his father's assistance, made a full blown lieutenant.

One of the pubs in the Newtown electorate is now being used as a boarding-house, and the advertiser inserts tbe following at the foot of his advertisement:—" Anyone liking beer should bring it with him."

It is time that a stranger's gallery for ladies (now that they vote as well as they do) should be fixed up in tbe House of Representatives. At the present time any lady who wants to hear members has to get her best young man or husband as the case may be to cringe and hang round a member of Parliament for a ticket, Where is the member for Mt Ida?

When gaaing'upon the present members of the House it strikes one that it woald be a good advertisement for some patent hair-restorer proprietor to send a few bottles to the House and bring forth a few hairs on the bald tops that appear to be in the majority there.