"TRUTH" TALKS

NZ Truth, Issue 869, 22 July 1922, Page 4

"TRUTH" TALKS

WITH THE MAN A T THE CORNER WHO SERVES UP A "SPOOK STUNT"

Current events m the political wi to draw on his imagination m an ago. He also gave a more cheer the Wellington Milk Supply Sch "DRAMATIC DISCLOSURES." "I see the Refprm Party's press is making the mosJt of Harry Holland's threatened disclosures regarding the alleged pact or attempted pact between the Liberal Party and Official Labour," said the visitor early m the week. "You can rely upon them to do that. It's all m the interests of Reformers to narrow the dssue down, and they reckon on a big win at the coming election if they can make the fight appear to be one between the party m power and Official Labour. The Reform Leader made no secret of his view of the position last week, when he invited the Liberals to come over to his side of the House." "But they differ right away on electoral policy. The Liberals, like Labour, are pledged to proportional representation, and Massey will have none of it." "Ho was pledged to it also not so

many years ago, but has since somersaulted. But returning to the Holland 'disclosures', we can't conceive the possibility of Tom Wilford being so lacking m shrewdness as to have tried coquetting with, the Hollandses and Fraserites." "Don't forget the old saying about 'strange bedfellows'." "Well, we're game to wager that the placdng of the cards .on the table, which Mr. Wilford ' unhesitatingly agreed to, .will not disclose anything sensational and will give T.M. a great opportunity to score. We really can't imagine " "You said that before. I can imagine if I put my mind to it; Let me conjure up a little visionary scone for you, but .bear m mind it is only a product of Ithe imagination. Imagine yourself m the ' room of the Liberal Leader. There sits Thomas himself, attended by henchman Atmore. Enter the austere Harry Holland and his more suave lieutenant, Peter Fraser. Thomas (rising): "Be seated, gentlemen." (reminiscent of a nigger minstrel show). Peter: "Let us get to business first, comrade. We must have a chairman. I 'propose Comrade Holland." Thomas (firmly): "Before formal business we will unite m singing a verse of. 'God Save the King.' " Harry and Peter: "Cut that out. We've taken the oath of loyalty each time we've been elected to Parliament." Thomas (aside to his henchman) : "Take a note of that.'" Peter: "I move that we proceed to the next order of the day. I propose Comrade Holland, as Chairman." Harry: "I second it." Atmore: "I propose Mr. Wilford." Thomas: "Seconded." The voting, curiously, enough, was even. It was decided to proceed without a Chairman. Harry: let us get to bedrock and cut out go-slow tactics." Thomas (soltto voce): "A welcome change." Harry (continuing) : Mr. A. told me that Mr. B. told him that Mr. C. had waited on you and discussed the linking up of your party with ours. You were agreeable." Thomas: "Not with yours. Anyway I don't recall the occasion." Peter: "There were other occasions. Comrade D. heard on the best of authority that Comrade E. was assured by Comrade F. that you were anxious to throw m your lot with us." Thomas (warmly): "I don't know Comrade F., but if he said that he lied." Peter: "I move that the words be taken down." Thomas (always ready of retort): "You can take down (the words but not me." Harry: "Comrades G. and H. declare that you are with us on the proportional representation plank — m fact, you stdle it from us." Thomas: "You still have it?" Harry: Of course we haye — we are not weathercocks." Thomas (triumphantly) : "Then how can we Qiave stolen it? No: you're not weathei'cocks ; they can't crow. There's a lot of 'A.B.C about your informants, but you haven't learned the 'A.B.C of sane politics." Peter: How do you stand on our glorious objective: 'Socialisation of the ' means of production, distribution and exchange?"' Thomas: "How do I stand? With both feet good and solid. Our policy is one of practical politics, not of visionary dreams which have produced chaos and ruin when the futile idealists have endeavoured to convert them into realities." Harry: "Ha! you've been feeding •on the Piute Press. It dictates " Thomas: "Not to me. My only dictates are those of commonsense. Mv party stands solidly for the constitution which makes us the freest people m the world." Peter: (with a sardonic smile): "But we stand for the constitution, too!" Thomas: "And what would you OQ to it if the people were foolish enough to <?ive von the cower?" Harry: "Yon leave that to us." Thomas: "Not if we know it. Good morning!" Harry: "We refuse your advances, and will let 'the country know all about it. We'll put all the cards on the. table." Thomas: "That will suit us nflmirably. I'll trump them. Good flay. You had bettor nret a Good Start, or you'll sret a Big -Push.". And the interesting gathering ended with the hurried departure of the two Comrades. "Quite an entertaining picture." said "Tmth." as "The Man at the Corner" finished his little effort of the imagination. But we would like to la^ a -Big > Push or even a Good Start dividend against a new hat that Tom Wilford has never had even an informal talk with Harry Holland on this subject of linking-up the two parties." Arc there, any takers? SUPERANNUATION PAYMENTS. "Did you notice the Prime Minister's sinister suggestion regarding superannuation the other day?" "Yes; he appeared to have some doubt about the schemes bearing up under the present heavy demands made upon the funds." ; "The Government has made a rod for its own back — and the baoks of the

orld led "The Man at the Corner" interesting manner a few days ing account of the progress of erne. . people. It is not fair tha/t any additional burden should fall on the civil servants." "What do you mean?" "Didn't you see the Ministerial hint that, further contributions from the State employees might be deemed necessary?" j "Yes; but what's the cause of it?" ! "He probably has m mind the position created by the enforcement of his own Ministry's re/trenchment scheme m the Post and Telegraph Department, under which nearly every officer of over 40 years' service was compulsorily retired. The result was that the fund, while suddenly losing the substantial | payments from the forty-year service I men, was at the same time called upon ; to pay out a large s total m the way of superannuation allowance. The small i increase m the total paid dn by the j promoted men was Infinitesimal m comparison. There were very ifew new appointments, ahd the revenue derived from them was very small." "So that the trouble is really of the Government's own making." "Undoubtedly. Some of the 40-year service nien rsvho were retired were amongst the most valuable members of the staff and capable of giving more years of useful work (for the country. The rule was not rigidly enforced. j Take Chief Postmaster Grocott, for instance. He was retained m office, doubtless for very good rtasons, after the forty years. .Others would have liked to stay on, too, but it is not fair that the men left should be asked to pay more because of the Government's lack of prescience." "We doubt -if the Government will take . that step. If necessary, it will probably have recourse to that . good old milch cow — the Consolidated Fund." MILK AT LAST! "You hit up the Wellington Municipal Milk -Supply pretty strongly last week." "Well, the initial bungling justified it," replied "The Man at the Corner." ."Moreover, the frank criticism, has done good." "The delivery has greatly improved." "And the milk appears to be of good quality. It is quite unique to see a , substantial coating of cream on top of j the bottled-milk, even if some of the '. bottles do not conftain the full quantity." "But the Council has arranged to make that up." "True; but that item alone adds force to 'Truth's! advice 'to other municipalities to act warily and profit by Wellington's experience." ; "The experiment has been closely I watched .all over New Zealand and m I Australia too, iwhere some of the papers have reprinted 'Truth's' articles." j "Then 'Truth' has rendered a useful public service m not being bull-dozed". | into glossing over unpleasant facts. ! One thing that should be done else-, where is to guard against unduly anV_' ' tagonising vendors who have it m i their power to place serious obstacles m the way of a successful initiation of ' the' scheme." "Wellington appears to have been up against some of these obstacles." "Undoubtedly. It was a .great mistake not making the new men learn the rounds before they started to der liver." : "Another mistake of the authorities . j which added to the irritation caused by j lack of supplies was the unwarranted j bouquet- throwing they indulged m

aiker the first day's mess-up — a prej mature boasting that had to be fol- \ lowed by long explanations and official : appeals to consumers to co-operate. j However, each day sees the system working more smoothly — apart. from the hardship involved m some cases of the 'no-coupon, no-milk' policy.'" It is a sign of 'the times I suppose — the so-called 'vested interests Council' so strongly supporting the Municipal Milk Supply Committee and its scheme. Labour was not m. the minor- . ity this time. Now look out for a 1 Municipal Bakery." A COSTLY JOB. I "What do you think of the southern ! reservoir?" breezed* a "Man m the Street" who blew into "Truth's' Dunedin office the other day. "Truth" didn't know a great deal about it, and asked for some information. "Well," said the visitor, "it's a cryj ing scandal to the city; it's ruinous, 1 and it's robbing the ratepayers. Do j you know it's going to cost . nearly" £30,000 to finish that job, and it could have been done for a quarter of that money." . "What's the trouble?" we asked. f "What's the trouble?" came the indignant echo. "Doesn't everybody know that it's control of the job from the in- | side; office and official interference. i They're all m it up there," he added, j pointing towards the Town Hall. I "What's the trouble?" he went on, [ "well. I'll tell you. It was started I wrong m the first place; it was a big i bloomer. The men have been flounder - I ing m mud up to their hips: they have ; power out there, but what's the good !of that if they don't use it. A good ! dredge at a comparatively small cost 1 would have done the work cheaply and i well. "It's a big mess I tell you, and I you'd better go and see it for your- ! self." In the very limited time available before this issue "Truth" learned enoueh to idealise that m connection with the construction of the southern reservoir i there has indeed been some serious I bungling for which the ratepayers are ! going to pay heavily. We are not In a ! position alt present to say who is to blame, but wdll Institute further enquiries.