THE EXCLUSIVE JONES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 8793, 24 July 1914, Page 6

THE EXCLUSIVE JONES

With a disdainful sniff, Mr George Jones rose in his place in the Legislative Council to point out the dreadful possibility that under the elective system men of the Semple stamp might get a place in our House of Lords. Having given expression to this startling sentiment. Air Jones proceeded to explain that he had been a Liberal for fifty years. In the light of tho fear that moved him to speech, this explanation was certainly necessary. Wo do not know why Air Semple was selected as the horrible example in this case, but it the people choose to elect him to a seat in tho .Legislative Council, wo cannot see why ho should not sit there, even at the risk of shocking the exclusive and highly-Liberal Air Jones. After all, this is a democratic country. It is for the people themselves and not for Mr Jones to say who shall represent them in Parliament. As for the Liberalism of Air Jones, we are prepared to confess to some doubt. Air Jones may have been a Liberal fifty years ago, but the Liberalism of that period is not the Liberalism of to-day. Times have -changed. Even thirty years ago there were nominated gentlemen in our .House of Lords who would, metaphorically speaking, have sniffed disdainfully, as Mr Jones did on Wednesday, at any suggestion that they should bo asked to sit' and legislate in the exclusive chamber beside the Lords of Oamaru and Ximaru who were exalted by tho Liberals to high places in the land. We are afraid that the Hon. Mr Jones is another Liberal of the type of that other Jones whom we know as Sir William Hall-Jones. These twain were commingling tears with the Hon. H. D. Bell the other day because other Liberals had ventured to protest against a system of importing men of twenty with six years’ farming experi enco to work for 7s 6d per week under the pretence that they were boys: Said tho Liberal Lord Jones and the other Liberal Lord Hall-Jones, “It is disgraceful to say such ’things about our esteemed loader, Air Bell. He would bo tho last man to do anything of the kind. No true Liberal would say such things.” But something of the kind was done. Two shiploads of these alleged boys were brought out under contract to start work at 7s 6d per week. And Liberals of the typo of Air Jones and Sir William Hall-Jones enthusiastically approved of tho scheme, and belauded the Minister, and gave their unreserved legislative sanction "to the continuance of the scheme. And Sir William Hall-Jones' was found by Liberalism at a carpenter’s bench in Timaru, and would ’ still be a-t the carpenter’s bench if Liberalism had not allowed itself to be persuaded that he was a sound Liberal and exalted him above his fellows. AYo are afraid that it is frdm the high places of Liberalism that thei strongest Tories in this country are evolved.