QUIP AND JUST

Otago Witness, Issue 3556, 9 May 1922, Page 29

QUIP AND JUST

MR DOWNIE STEWART’S STORIES. (From Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY - . April 26. The New Zealand Minister for Customs (Mr W. Downie Stewart) has, during his stay in Australia, come to be regarded as something of a ranconteur. At lunch at the National Club in Sydney on Monday he told how. when he had voted for a measure to give women seats in Parliament, an old Maori member was very cross with him and took him seriously to task. “I told him,” said Mr Stewart, “that I would sooner have a beautiful lady sitting beside me in Parliament than him.” ‘Very well,’ he retorted, ‘if this measure goes through. I’ll see that an old Maori ‘wahine’ is elected, and that she sits alongside you and chews shark all night.’ ” Another story concerned a visit to an Australian court. “The judge,” he said, “had sentenced a moil, 75 rears of age. to five years ’imprisonment. ’Em very old. your Honor.’ said the old chap, ‘T don’t think T can serve that sentence. I won’t live that long.’” “TTis Honor repTted, ‘Well. you must do the best you can.’” And vet another:— A Minister was ihliverino- on important speech in the New Zealand Parliament one night, and was greatly annoyed by a member of the Opposition, who lay flat .on his back on one of the benches and persistently interrupted. At last the Minister could stand it no longer. “I wish you would slop talking,” he said, “von do all your talking lying down.” “And you do all your lying standing up.” was the retort.