NOTES to HENRY from The Vag.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 6, Issue 244, 20 October 1915, Page 4

NOTES to HENRY from The Vag.

"It is to be noted that Individualism does not come to tho man with any sickly cant about duty, which merely means doing what other people want because they want it> or any hideous cant about self-sacrifice, which is merely survival of savago mutilution. , '' —Oscar Wilde. * * * Henry, I heard a biologist say the other evening, "If you keep a tadpole in a tank of water, he will remaiu a tsdpole until the day of bis death, but if you g-ire him a chance to crawl out of tho tajik he will become a. frog. , ' Thero you have the sum aud substance of all legislation to-day. Nearly all Acts of Parliament or any other legislative body are mad© with the idea of keeping you, Henry, a slave. If the> give yon a chance to crawl out, you might become a frog and hop off the job—like the little toddler that was asked by the lady what' his name was, and ho replied "Johnny Don't." It's rather funny to watch the career of some of the Dubb family. Let mc take one. He was a counter jumper at a big rag shop. He had to dress in tho latest morning coat, comb his hull - with the parting in tho middle, keep a continual smirk on his oily features, and servo out yards of this, that, and the other thing. Sundays he went to the same church as the boss. Ho bowed to the boss as ho went in, and his wife curtseyed. "When his children £ot sick he had to depend on prayer, because

(For sequel sco nest "Worker.") h« only received two pounds per week ■ and ho couldn't afford a doctor. Uβ was naturally an anti-unionist. He didn't believe in those trade unions. H wasn't right that any group of men should tell him under what conditions ho should work. Hβ was a free man. "When a group of fifteen men under clause 4, part 1, section 2 of the I.C and A. Act (how do you like that, Henry —sounds like a blooming lawiyer, don't it?) registered a union and was successful in forcing Grabitall to pay more wages and to give his slaves better conditions, Henry • would not join. Now, the boss thought, "Here's my chance to get a tadpole. I havekept him a tadpole all this time, and I am going to keep him a tadpole." But with higher wages and better conditions he found the other employees increased in efficiency, and the outcome was that the tadpole got the sack. So it is in every walk of life. Look at tho sneer on the handlebar of the motor biko when it passes a push bike! Look at the sneer on tho front of the motor car when it passes what was the acmo of perfection a few years ago, the hanspm cab! Henry, how much longer will you remain in tho tadpole- stage How much longer, Henry? ■* * -A Yes, that's what I said: "To 'ell uitli the Kniser!" Did you hear mc? "ALL KAISERS." a * * When Hiram Hunter was commanded to write to our friend William and protest against tho passing of the National Registration Bill, Hiram little dvcamed that he was stirring up a nest of tadpoles. On every hand these ferocious little animals are barking at our National Secretary. The* parson tried in a Tasmanian church, onoe, to startle his audience, who had dropped into their usual slumber immediately he commenced his sermons. "Speaking of mosquitoes," he said, "I have seen some large ones in Australia, many of them would weigh a pound, aud they have been known to run up the trees aud bark when travellers have passed along tho road." So it is with our local Bumble's minds. They are so contracted that many of them would weigh a pound, but it would take a good many. The- latest squeeze these Potsdam Nightmares are putting on is to refuso to allow Hiram to appear before them because of his "disloyal" letter to Mr. M&ssey. 0! it's a treat to watch these gentl-3 followers of the meek and lowly Carpenter. When they think tho elections aro coming on ajid there's a chance of the Social Demojcrats getting into power, liko tho other tadpoles you can see their little feet protruding I'rom their chests, but directly tho elections aro over and tho Dubb family have voted against progress, their feet disappear, and they swim around fancying they are goldfish. * * * Kaisers, Czars and Kings aro simply tadpoles that havo not been given a chance. Socialism will provide them -with the means of getting out. * * •:■ ;' My friend, tho Rev. Obadiah Tipnose, says ho couldn't vote for Socialism because there would bo no freedom under that system. Our home life I would bo regulated by inspectors. Well, I what price this system? We havo inspectors to see that we don't eteal our own fish out of our own rivers. We have motor inspectors to see that we don't run our motors over our neighbour's cat. Wo havo rattle inspectors, doix inspectors, factory inspectors, building insp-ec-tors, scuirbld inspectors, weights and measures inspector.s. pas inspectors, and only the editorial bluo ijimcil prevents nw From coins on. And