" BILL" THE BARD

NZ Truth, Issue 568, 6 May 1916, Page 7

" BILL " THE BARD

Shakespeare's Tercentenary m Weliingtor Was Favoritism Shown? Wellington, this week, lms been honoring: thd memory of one" William Shakespeare, and perhaps it is necessary foe "Truth" to mention that the William Shakespeare m question is, or rather was, a bard, who wrote plays and love sonnets, and is said to have been a bit of a lad m" his way. Incidentally, somebody or other, at different periods of history since the days of •"Good Queen Bess," has put up the gagthat Bill Shakespeare didn't write the "Bill Anderson" stuff, or the hot words of hotter love m his sonnets, etc., and that the\real culprit was one Frankie Bacon, who was also called "My Lord Verularn," and who was CHIIEF JUSTICE OF ENGLAND, and did a Jot of crook things m the get-rich -quick line, and by a lot of adroit ''kidding" to the politicians of his day just about "saved his bacon," m Other words, died a natural death, instead of having his top-piece Intimating that it had no connection .with the other, side of the neck. Incidentally, m order to be up to date, and to do justice to the memory of the bard, whoever he was, "Truth" wishes to recall that a' few years ago some Justices of the Peace down at iChriatchurch i were..asked to try &nd-'~discoyer wljethei^ there ;was anything of an Indecent, imtfibral or obscene nature In one of "Bill's" ''jingles," and a Jay Pay hench, with a wisdom not usually to be credited to the species, found that there was nothing out of order about it, and thus saved New Zealand from being made tbo laughing stock of the whole, particularly the old, world. Further, it might be mentioned, just to show Wellington that m honorIng "Bill of Avon" (no connection with the Christchurch creek), it is barking up tho wrong tree, as the other day a court of justice m Chicago, where they can pork and man, decided that Frankie Bacon did / . WRITE ALL THE STUFF which Ignorant- English people have wrongly put down as being the creatures of William Shakespeare's disordered mind. However, Wellington has hondred the great English bard, William Shakespeare, m a thorough and befitting manner, and the play and pageantry at the Town Hal) during the week reflects ; tho highest credit on those responsible. There is, however, one little matter on which "Truth" would like to be heard, and it is a complaint that for some unspecified and unsatisfactory reason, the ( lady responsible for the selection of the actors und actresses, particularly the Hinart young children at present abounding In Wellington, omitted to use tho services of a very smart child named Rita McGee, who, we believe,, per«onu,lly has been responsible for the collection of £ 300 for patriotic purposes, m addition to which there has been a great demand for her juvenile talents. Indeed, so talented is the child, who is about ten years of age, that Lady Liverpool has become greuftly interested m her, and even invited her ,to Government House, which, "Truth" presumes, is tup greatest honor Mater Faniilias of Wellington seeks either for herself or children. "Truth" learns that the services of this talented child were' available for the festivities m question, but for some unknown reason, her services were EITHER DECLINED OR IGNORED. Considering the fact that the child Is talented, that she could easily have been> placed In some small "part, this paper believes that there was a want of tact shown by somebody. In these days of patriotic effort, all should pull together: Little things, little slights, such as the shouldering out of a" child whose ser-' 'vices have been eagerly offered and availed of when juvenile talent was to - quired tend to discourage parents/ and dishearten the youngsters. It is better' to utllis^ the seWices, of all the talented children available than to make exceptions, or an exception. This aort of thins: leads to unpleasant talk, perhaps unjustifiable conclusion. Parents become auspicious and jealous, one word leads to many; and neverending trouble, which m the beginning could have been obviated by a show of common sense, la the result. - .; I