What One has to Expect as Premier.

Observer, Volume XIV, Issue 781, 23 December 1893, Page 2

What One has to Expect as Premier.

The Premier in the course of his travels has some queer deputations to meet- One of the queerest that has lately come within his experience turned up just before the elections among the hack blocks of Otago. The interview took place in the sittingroom of the local pub. At the appointed time, about a dozen rough-cut specimens of humanity filed into the room, smoking their pipes and discussing the latest dogfight or similar local sensation. The spokesman of the party was behind time, and the row of shaggy, silent men puffed vigorously away and expectorated generously about the floor, while they cogitated some fresh idea on the subject of the weather.

Presently a raucous, boisterous voice was heard outside, the door was thrown violently open, a large full-bearded man hurriedly entered the room with his wideawake on his head. His appearance suggested that he had just completed a ten mile spin over a morass. He was perspiring profusely, and his white shirt bulged out like a life-belt round his loins. Hitching up his declining pants with one hand, and mopping his manly brow with the other, he thus addressed the Premier— ' Well, I'm d sorry if I've kept you waiting. Now, look here, there's no doubt this here district has suffered a d lot of neglect.'

The Premier's cold stare of surprise at this novel exordium arrested the orator, and feeling that he had failed to strike a sympathetic chord he coughed, shuffled uneasily, and changed his ground. 'In

course,' he resumed, ' it's no fault of that d Opposition. They're a fine lot of scoundrels, they are. 1 The Premier's cold, repellant look did not relax. ' Will you please come to the point,' he said, ' I don't understand you.' ' Oh, 1 said the orator, «is that so. Then what I am driving at is the misappropriation of the funds by the Atkinson crowd. Isn't it a d shame that such a push aB that should be allowed to mess up matters as they have done ?' # # * Once more the Premier intervened. ' I am not here,' he said, ' to listen to coarse language of this sort or to hear attacks upon previous Governments. I understood you had some local matters to speak to me about.' The orator sailed in again with a few more ideas on the subject of Conservative corruption, and a replenished supply of fiery expletives with which to illuminate them. He did not seem to appreciate the point that his language and style were not strictly olassical.

But the Premier's cold, level and threatening stare fixed him up again, and stopped his flow of oratory in mid-oareer. He felt something had gone wrong, but he could not perceive where. He looked around upon his companions for help, he shuffled uneasily upon the floor, he tried another parcel of miscellaneous profanity, and finally he stammered and said, ' Well, d it, I think I'd better sit down.' 'I think so, too,' answered the Premier. Then he read the spokesman a brief lecture on propriety of language, told him a Minister of the Crown did not receive deputations for the purpose of hearing his political adversaries blackguarded in profane language, and advised him in future to address himself Btrictly to business. The deputation listened stolidly, and the interview having closed, they adjourned to the bar to liquor up.