MEN AND MATTERS

Maoriland Worker, Volume 12, Issue 294, 18 October 1922, Page 15

MEN AND MATTERS

H. G. Wells, when acknowledging his* selection, as /Parliamentary Labour : candidate for' London University at the General Election, p#t it well wlfen he said that jhe "never saw a Guardsman dressed in*his finery! without feeling that he was dressed in stolen pens, stationery and the impaired mental health of poor kiddies." If this sort of thing goes on soldiering will soon become contemptible.'

Pussyfoot Johnson at used a queer argument; in favour of prohibition. He said that had the U.S. got prohibition earlier they. would have come into the war sooner. In effect the sooner alcohplically sober the -quicker, jingo drunk.- . What, infamous tripe! If that's the. best lie can do to convert intelligent workers to prohibition he should be packed off home immediately. . Pussyfoot is evidently one of those who strain at gnats .and .swallow camels. He liates booze because it results in misery, but he is all for war, although war produces misery > crime, and immorality ten thousand times as much. Why can't this jingo Yankee trot out some decent argument? '. We, ask the; question as-' prohibitionists, who have always voted for it, and would.again^if some of Pussyfoot's "pati'iotic" pals had not helped to disfranchise us.

*■*'*'* An anonymous writer in the "GreyRiver Argus" calls upon his readers to note that simultaneously with the Grey "Star" The Maoriland Worker criticised the Communists. what about it? Peculiar mentality these Communists have! They revile the Labour Party and when the Labour Party supporters defend themselves they are at once accused of being in league with the capitalist class!

When King Tino was restored on the defeat of Venezelos he demanded 100 per cent, increase in his wages, and got it. After paying- him at this -rate to ruin their country, the Greeks gave bUn £5000 to taice his hook. Tino seems to have had the better of the deal. ' -' . * * * * The cable telling us that the crew of the Soviet ship "Bolshevjk" lived on equal terms with the captain, eat the same food, and smoked cigarettes to their hearty content caused Captain Bold, the shipping companies'witness against the seamen, to have a fit of apoplexy, it is baseless.ly rumoured. : * * * * The Arbitration Court judge objected to Mr;. A. Li. Monteith's method of cross-examination as suggestive of "soap-box oratory." The fact that this J contemptuous phrase slipped from the ruouth of the judge reveals the bias of his mind. !** * # : There are 30,000 British at Chanak and the cables said 400,000 Turks were concentrated'there. Yet now that the Turksh have.retired from-.the neutral i zone some cables make' believe that the British frightened them. Those cables won't even give the' devil his I due. -•-•■•■-■••■.• .■■■-: .-■• [## # # . I Mr. H. E. Holland's suggestion that I the "Chatham" should be'used to carry I cargoes of bananas is about the best j one we've heard for a battleship yet. It is rejected doubtless for its commonsense, and for the fact that it would compete with the IJ.<S.S. and spiflicate private enterprise and profit. . ; ...."' ■;.■:.■■ # * * '# A crowd ol lawyers in America are now considering changes in the rules lof warfare. These gentry' arc wasting , : their time, because the rules are never observed. ' Westport watersiders intend to liberally support the N.Z. Labour Party's 50,000 fund. Theirs is a good example which we commend to all who wish to out Massey. * « # © Mr. A. C. Cameron, Secretary of the British Society of Woodworkers, and liis colleagues Messrs. Barron and Chew, left New Zealand on October j 14. They left Wellington for the; North quite unexpectedly, after a con-! sulfation . with delegates from various ' Carpenters' Unions throughout New Zealand, and the movement was therefore unablo Jo avaij itself of their services. It is very regrettable that the Trade Union officers who knew that this important delegation was on the way did not think fit to inform the rest of tlie movement so that a suitable and"'.comradely reception could be given them. A London' cable states that Mr. H. Hamilton Fyfe, the well-known author and journalist-, has: been appointed* editor of-the "Daily Herald/ the Labour paper in London. He is noted as one of 'tne>iYiost fascinating writers In SugHah JouiuallßW of the present flay.