MR POWTER THINKS HE THINKS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8186, 30 July 1912, Page 4

MR POWTER THINKS HE THINKS.

Mr Powter entered his domicile and slammed tho door behind him. Mr Powter divested himself of hie overcoat and hat and threw himself into a chair in tho dining-room. Mr Powter's face wore a portentous frown. “You seem put out, dear,” said Mrs Powter. "What's tho matter?"

‘‘Aw 1 nothing that you've done," said Mr Powter, magnanimously. "X ran into that fellow Pointer on the way homo, and every time 1 seo him he gets me sore.”

"I thought Mr Pointer a very pleasant man. when I met him," said Mrs Powter. "What do you find wrong with him ?"

"Well, you see, he’s some kind of an Anarchist, or Socialist, or Single Taxer, or something of that sort," said Mr Powter, "and when I meet him the doggoacd fool is always trying to tell me what's wrong and how to fix it. It happened we were each reading the same paper. ‘Did you notice this?’ says he. ‘What is it?’ says I. ‘Here’s a grocery firm say they pay afill.OOO rent in 1910 for a place that cost them .£6OOO in 1900. What do you think of that?' “Why, I think it shows Little Old New York is a great place,' says I. ‘Very true,' says he; ‘but don’t you think it concerns you? Who’s getting that extra jfioOOO, and why? ; ‘Well, tho landlord’s getting it,’ says I. ‘Of course he is,' says he; ‘but why?’ ‘Because he owns it,' says I. Now, with anybody else that would have settled it, but Pointer da such a persistent pest that he won't lay down when you have him beat. He just turns toward mo with that conceited smile of his —and, by tho way, ithat’s tho one thing I hate in man, woman or child, that know-it-all conceit —well, he turns toward me and says, *But what did ho do to make it worth twico as much?’ I could feel my gorge rising, but I answered civilly, ‘Well, what in blazes did he need to do? He just lot it come.’ ‘Precisely so,’ says Pointer; ‘but if he didn't do anything for it, didn’t earn it, why should ho have it?'"

‘‘Why, that seems reasonable,” said Mrs Powter. "I have often heard you say that no man is entitled to more than he earns. You seemed positive enough about that when one of your clerks asked for a raise, and you told him that when he showed he could earn it he would get it.” Hr Powter glared at Mrs Powter. Mr Powter’s face reddened and the corners of his mouth drew down. He partly rose from hie chair and shook his forefinger in Mrs Powter’s face. ‘‘By goshl I’m glad there’s no one about listening to you exposing your ignorance. I tola Pointer that what he was talking at was confiscation. That’s what I told him, and that’s what I tell you!” he bellowed. "All right, dear; don’t get angry. Tell me what else happened," said Mrs Powter.

Mr Powter sat down again and continued : ‘‘Well, when _ I said 'confiscation,’ Pointer said so it was, and 1 began to think the man had some glimmerings of reason in him. But off he went again. 'lt’s confiscation.* says he; ‘but it’s the landlord doing the confiscating.’ I didn’t try any longer to hide that I was mad, and I told him to come across with some sensible or shut up. “Very well,' days he. "He bought something that was worth .£6OOO a year, didn’t do a thing to it, sat around while the population of New York grew enough to make the business of that store so much larger that ho could jack up his tenants’ rent; and then scooped in the increase. Now, it seems to me that the people who in common made that increase by living in Now York should have the. proceeds of it in their common treasury, and use it to build subways with, let us say."* "I never thought about it that way before," said Mrs Powter, “but it sounds like a sensible argument." Mr Powter seemed about to choke. When he got his breath he said: "Aw, woman, gimme my supper,- and hereafter talk about things yon , understand !’’ — A. J. Portenar.