The Bruce Herald. TOKOMAIRIRO, SEPTEMBER 15, 1899.

Bruce Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 3099, 15 September 1899, Page 4

The Bruce Herald. TOKOMAIRIRO, SEPTEMBER 15, 1899.

It is pleasing to see that after a Rip Van Winkle slumber of seven years Mr Allen, M. 11.11., has lately woke up to the fact that he is supposed to represent Bruce. He has not shown any great virility in this direction as yet, but in a few years, with practice, he may improve. Up to date he has got so far as asking questions anent the Bruce roll, and a — fowl ranch. We have not had time before to comment ou this very trifling question, and we certainly should not do so now only a lai'ge amount of smoke has been'created with the object of deceiving the public. We intend now to dispel the smoke which has been raised at a certain street corner in Milton. The facts of the printing of the roll are very simple. On the ISth of July, 1899, we received the usual printed circular letter from the Registrar of Electors asking for a tender, which we duly signed on the 25r,h of July. In the House Mr Allen had the temerity, born of want of knowledge, to dcc l are that no printed circular was sent out. This shows that long as he has been a member he has not yet learned that printed official circulars are always sent out. In fact the two, circular letter and tender, are on the one form, so that no one could possibly tender in any other way. But this was nothing : Mr Allen bitterly attacked the Bruce Herald and the Registrar because no notice had been sent to a printer in July who only started in Milton in August. Be it noted that this person, on the ISth July, when tlie circular was s*nt out, had not thtn, started in business at all. On the 31st of July he applied for registration, and on the Ist of August he was registered. Then, by his dated circulars, the public learnt he had started a small printing business on the Bth August. What in the name of common sense did our gifted member, Mr Allen, want the Registrar of Electors to do ? Did the honorable member want him to break the law ancl ask an unregistered printing office to send in a tender ? Was that what he wanted ? Anyway neither the Registrar nor the public could admit that any such office existed till Ist August. Yet, although the Registrar qf carried out his duty in every respect, Mr Allen launches out into the wildest and most incorrect statements, without making the slightest pretence to ascertain beforehand the truth of his charges. But this is not to be wondered at, as he belongs to a party which lives on political scandals, the unearthing of which are the breath of life to that rftajrpdorous band of politicians. Mr Allen is evidently aifecped by the tainted political moral atmosphere his party breathes, and rushed into the Bruce Roll question, hoping tofind a new, fat;, gaseous scandaj only waiting for an Opposition menaber to thrust tyis nose ii}tp, Jfe has |)o£ found 'it, and weare^prry

fori him*- for .when he ..returns to Bruce__ his; friend who has so sadly misled him wiH fall round Mr. Allen's nedk |;and„..tvgep tears of ; chagrin .at£ their non success. . So far, our member hai wasted the time of the House on ; two occasions over this frivolous inaitter.. He, must haye, taken up about, half-an-hour , of the House's valuable tinie in doing so, t and as it is run at an expense of .£3O an hour, it must have, qpst, the electors of the colony. £15 —to discover: nothing. That is a trifle : to Mr Allen, as it does not come out of his pocket. In conclusion, to should advise Mr Allen and his friend, for the future, to cease digging in a vain effort to unearth scandals ' which never existed, except in their splenetic imaginations ! In the words of Pope, slightly altered, they should know that : "A little learning is a dangerous thing, Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spting," For if you don't you'll certainly fall in.