Government Pilloried

Manawatu Times, Volume LVI, Issue 6519, 7 April 1931, Page 8

Government Pilloried

THE MAN IN THE PUB. PUNCH HUMORIST HITS OUT LONDON, Feb. 12. A.P.H., of “Punch,” has been on the warpath again. Perennially “agin the Government,” he gave all Governments what-for in his speech to-day at the Individualists’ luncheon. “What have the Government done? he asked. “They have passed a law that no man shall be shaved on Sundays. They try to pass a law to crush out the only export trade between Scotland and the U.S.A.

“The streets of this country teem with unarrested murderers —I am told they have formed a club^—but what is really worrying the Home Office is the presence in our midst of 10/- tickets in a sweepstake. ’ ’ “If ever we do get rid of this Government,” he added, “this chickenhearted, yellow-livered, pop-eyed, pastyfaced Government —I want to be fair shall we be any better with regard to these home aifairs? I am sorry to say that there is not the smallest evidence that wo shall.” The Mother of Parliaments has become the Parliament of Grandmothers. A.P.H. hit out all round and blamed the indifference and drift of the last Conservative Government as the direct causo of the muddles about Sunday laws, betting, and other things. He announced his “instructions” to Mr. Baldwin for the next Conservaticc Government.

“He should appoint somebody at least who represents the average man in a pub—me,” added Mr. Herbert. Whenever any question of personal conduct arose which came under the purview of the Home Office, whether it was Sunday amusement, betting or “pubs” our democratic Home Secretary was absolutely impotent, too cowardly

to amend our antiquated laws, and too feeble to endorse them. But the worst of all was, iu his opinion, due to the idiocy of our civil legislators when they try to pass a law that children of men and women who live upon canal boats shall be torn from their parents at the age of five and set to learn arithmetic and other useless things elsewhere. “Four weeks ago the self-governing city of Cardiff declined to allow a Frenchman to sing songs which were unintelligible to the Chief Constable of Cardiff. “Just before that a Scotsman was summoned at the police court for not going to church on Sunday.”