OUR RACK-RENTED QUEEN.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 3675, 27 February 1899, Page 5

OUR RACK-RENTED QUEEN.

As' an illustration of the Queen’s .sense of humour, which often eaves her endless worry when transacting State business, air Edward 'Bussell tells, in the Liverpool Post,” a very good story. On one occasion Her Majesty was speaking to a gentleman of high, .position., when she said, I don’t like the ’s” (referring to a landed family). " Why, ma am? ,_ , Oh, because they are very bad to their tenants; and many of their cottages are in a horrid state;- and if anything-is done by any tenants at their own expense to improve their condition, the first thing the —— s do is to raise the rent upon them. With a smile, the gentleman who was honoured with his conversation replied. Well I, am only • ■ glad, ma am, that vou sympathise -with the afflictions of - tenants.”. Whereupon the Queen said, " Oh, I am a tenant myself, j " (naming a place of Her Majesty’s) " from Mr ,of -. —, and I have made many improvements, and ever ytime I have made an improvement my rent has been raised.” At this the gentleman Her Majesty was talking to could not retrain from laughing outright, and the Queen a •own eyes began to -twinkle as,he said, "Well, ma’am, let me .-say,that this that vou have now oomolained of underlies, •and is the basis and secret'of. the whole Irish question and the whole Crofter question. It is rather amusing to find your Majesty suffering from a grievance as a crofter.” The idea of being a rack-rented crofter made the Queen laugh very much.