AT THE TEA TABLE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLV, Issue 11931, 29 October 1919, Page 5

AT THE TEA TABLE.

SOME TOPICAL TALKS.

“I am glad to see that the West Australian legislators propose to give women the light to sit in Parliament,” said the Landlady. “One or other portion of the British Dominions will supply an object lesson on the influence of women in politics.” * ‘Finland gave the lesson some time ago,” said the Critic., “but the news we have received from that countiy does not indicate that women had either a refining or a softening influence. N As a rule women’s influence is towards good, but if she does happen to get a tilt the other way, man cannot compete. Possibly this is due to the same reason that mates fall from a great height much more disastrous than a drop from a lower.” “I suspect,” said the Cynic, “that the Westralian legislators are also only fooling the women electors. Human nature —in this case man’s — is much the same all the world over. They may pretend they do, but they really don’t want women to take part in the making of laws. There is an age-old prejudice against it.”

“What do you think of the persistent clamour for nationalisation of the mines?” asked the Scribe. “It seems to be increasing in volume.”

“The cause of the clamour is very apparent,” said the Critic. “The miners have come to regard their industry as the king-bolt of the industrial system. They probabty never heard the fable of the fly on the wheel. What they are aiming at also, is to obtain power to control the’mines,* which they could easily get through the politicians they elect. So long as the mines are privately owned they will be run on business lines, and these do not satisfy either the go-slows or the grasping. ’ ’ “But nationalisation might work all right if it was carried out thoroughly and completely, ’ said the Sage. “We have nationalised the defence of the country, and, on the face of it, there is no reason why all the industries should not be nationalised. If the mines are nationalised, then the miners should also be nationalised, just like the Army and Navy. The miners should be equally sworn to allegiance to the service of the State, be subject to discipline and perfect organisation for effective exertion, also rendering implicit and unquestioning obedience to the orders of those placed in authority.” “Those are the very last conditions the miners would accept, ’ ’ said the Cynic. “They don’t want to make their work effective. They merely desire greater power to fleece the public. The whole trouble originates from the insane desire of the tail to wag the dog.”

“It is o'T sfro trne tliat the ideas of the Labour extremists are very conflicting/’ remarked the Sage. “I presume that Mr Holland did not intend to be irreverent when he stated in the House that under the proposed measure to exclude undesirables even the Galilean Garpenter would not be allowed entry.” “I don’t want to be irreverent, either,” said the Critic, “but I doubt if He would ever be fondjamong the Labour ■;extremists, “ unless it were to drive them out of the Labour Temple. ’ ’ “Bat the really conflicting facts are,” said the Sage, “that while Mr Holland .apparently would deplore

His possible exclusion, his fellow

Labour misieaders have actually secured the passage of legislation that makes such entry impossible, and they protest with indignant vehemence against any relaxation of the laws that prevent the entry of aliens, or any but the people of the white races. They forget that the Galilean Carpenter was a Syrian, and this fact also receives no attention from those who strictly draw the colour line. We all sometimes forget that our Christian religion originated in the East, and not among any of the Caucasian people; also that at that very time the people in the barbarous British Isles were roaming the woods with painted skins. *’ “Consistency is as little considered by extremists as by politicians,’’ said the Cynic. “Expediency is their omy guide, and they use any argument, or rouse any prejudice that will serve a present purpose.”

“I quite agree with the claim of the returned soldiers that only those who have seen service should take part in the administration of our defence system”, observed the Sage. “The3 r are the men who by sad and trying experience have become best versed in the real work of war.”

“We are certainly likely to get the best results if their claim is granted, so far as efficiency is concerned, ” said the Critic, “and after all efficiency is the chief thing to be desired. I notice also that all returned officers strongly urge the necessity for proper training for defence. ”

“Even if they were prompted to do this because war has been their occupation for a time,” said the Scribe, “there are incidents occurring every day to show ns how dangerous it would be to be lulled into a false sense of security. There is as'yet no ray of the millennial dawn.”

“It is amusing to watch the frenzied chase of the profiteer, ” said the Critic. “The politicians are trying ail sorts of devices to net him, but he is either most elusive, or non-existent. It is clear enough already that.he will not be found among the retailers. His name may be Legion among the big manufacturers, however, on whom the world depends for supplies, and the British Government with its new legislation may extract the ketchup from those mushroom fortunes we have read about.”

“Those are only one cause of the increase in the cost of living the politicians profess themselves so eager to remedy, ” said the Cynic, “If they really mean business why don’t they abolish the great and oppressive Labour Trust, which has federated to secure unity of action or inaction, and is carrying on its nefarious operations behind high tariff walls. Blow the horns and throw down, those walls of -Jericho, and neither that Trust nor any other one whose business is inimical to the public would survive for a month.” “Did you enjoy Labour Day on Monday?” asked the Landlady.* “I did not notice any great excitement.” J ‘ ‘Ail those in the country towns

were trying to kill time in one way or another,” said the Critic. “It seems to be a very useless holiday. 5 ’ “It is supposed to be the holiest day of Saint Labour,” said the Scribe, “and was created by politicians for its glorification.” “But when we keep a Saint’s day it is supposed to bo a trifle holier than an ordinary day, ” said the Cynic. “As no work is done on that day, I suppose it is celebrated by being lazier. Surely however the title is a misnomer for a day on which work ceases except at ‘time and a half. ’ Instead of it being called Labour Day it should, ©specially in view of the be called Lazier Day.” A JAYE PENNE.