A CRUEL JOKE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1725, 17 April 1888, Page 3

A CRUEL JOKE.

The funny man is yet extant—at least in India. It seems that a certain gentleman, upon whom the Calcutta police had its eye and would, perhaps, like to have its hand —made a wager upon the question of the extent to which Europeans were willing to accept employment in

India. He therefore (says an exchange) devised a bogus advertisement! which duly appeared in the leading London newspapers, stating that an Indian Prince wanted forty assistant clerks for his business establishment at about £4OO per annum, outfit, passage out, free board and lodging, after the manner of Princes, in a demn-the-ha penny fashion. The result was that India was simnl? inundated with the letters of theTpplic«nt ß . The hulking of the Indian mail some weeks before Christmas was probably not so much

due to Christmas cards and seasonable greetings as to the tail-end of this mighty army of correspondents, all anxious to earn £4OO per annum and « perks ” at the expense of an Indian pnnce. One mail alone brought 563 ordinary and 10 registered letters. It may be assumed, therefore, that our practical joker has been satisfied with his experiment, though we trusi that he has lost his wager. He has apologised publicly to the applicants whom he had misled; but that is no ml condonation ot this sort of joke.

No one can adequately apologise tor causing useless anxiety and heartsickening through weeks and ; months to those who think they see in such fascinating advertisements the high road to happiness and prosperity. The joker ought to have five minutes interview with the biggest man among his dupes.