A Ministerial Atonement.

Observer, Volume XXI, Issue 1196, 30 November 1901, Page 22 (Supplement)

A Ministerial Atonement.

fll EKE \vas sOinvthiiij;' unusual astir, judging Itytlie commotion in town. Citizens of usually" <juiet' ami ea*y-<{oinjf ,. habits were striding uasti ,ns sis if- they were tr eii<rajjed in a go -;hs- yon- please contest,, iti'iiius, .'bussfs and cabs, Tilled with excited people, were merrily (■;ire<'niiig up Queen-street, and the ■wlnde popularc was streaming in one (iirectioji,

••Hallo!" It was Mr .1. M. Lennox we hailed. Hat he would not stop. ■ ; Don't mi^s it." was all he said, ami we : registered a vow that we wouldn't. Hut what was it?

I lien we c an g h t a glimpse of the hurrying (i gu r e of George Morr is, an d knowingthat lie wouldn't hasten even tor an overdue rail, we were certain that something was afoot move tlirillingtlian i\ fire. " II aven't you heard the news ?'" ht:sai<l. when we overtook him. " Dirk Seddon has apologised for depriving theAueldand people of the Maori show at the thhe of the Duke's visit, and has 'bron'ght his M v n is ters from Wellington to giveusahaka by way of atonement. It's on at the TDomain now. - This was news indeed. Yes, we must be there. And, under the care, of our guide, we were soon taking our aerial fli.cl.it Domain-wards. There were all sorts and conditions of people on the roads, on

foot, on. horseback,, mid in. vehicles, lint the most striking .horseman we saw was Tattle Ranger Hkldlft. froinj.Deonport.

. Sue li a co h course of 'people was inner before seen in Auckland, though 'we can always depend on a ciowd when there is a free show. Ami sucli enthusiasm ! Truly, Dick liatl captured the crowd with his fr«e show. The first man we saw on the ground was Collector of ( ' ust<» in s Hose, who reckoned the crowd up from a revenue - . raising point of view, and grumbled incessantly because Premier Dick would not let him charge them one per cent, ad valorem for admission. "It would have given the surplus a tremendous life." he said. Anil we believed him. Then we met ('■oorge Iliggins, whu was annoyed, as became a pillar of the National Ass., at tin great e n t h.u s i asm. The people of Auckland were too read\ to forget and for give. he thought

especially when there was a free show hsinjj;iiitf to it. ' Now. if the people had only declined Dick's otter with disdain, the National Ass. would have {jive'n them a inucli Wetter haka, ■ with I). I}. McDonald in t lie lead. T hen lieor^'i' slijilitly sounded ifewhcthtM' we would help to hiss Dick, Imt. like the for^ivin^ people, we

wuro t'liere for fun. W. O. Daldy, the younger, bored us «i few. Assured us lie knew it wouldn't be much of a liakti; His father had told him so. It would be nothing to hakas his father iiad seen on the East Coast in the good old days, when he spent his time distributing tracts arid hymns to the Maoris, and teaching them the advantages of peace and commerce. / "What's that .you say about hakiis in the <*ood ol<l daysV' ; It was Wulliu S wan so n. ' ' By crikey, you on«;lit to have seen the haka they danced once in Mechanic's Bay, when they came down to take

Auckland. That was something like a haka. But you leave Dick tteddon alone. 1 have taught him a step or two, myself, find amiunin*; wriggle, and if lie is not as good n,s the best of them, then niy names not Wullie Swanson. v

Mill 'Mow limy was not so hyjHjf 11 1 (if till* SlU'yess of the'show. '"'l' heard 'then; were some «xirls in it."" In; said. " and footed itall the way from town. Now. they toll ni c there's to lie. no girls at all, hut only Dick Beddon and some bally old politician s. 'Phis is what I call a sell, and after I had gone and paid half-a-sov-ereign to. get on the front of the stand, too."' We sympathised.

" It s just like my luck."' said Hill. •• When I'm not ltein«j l)U)l)])Oll Ollt |>f tram •cars, and •jetting smashed up. without any rhaiirt' of coinjii'iisation, they arc taking me (town with political confidence tricks.' like this masculine liaka, o<f soiiHM hiii" else. '

Then we met. "••Pad" liotfiiisui, who reckoned it was almighty good of Dick to itome all the way from Wellington to give us such mi artistic treat, and more especially so after the rude hooting methods the Auckland people had pursued in order to belittle the Right Honorable Doctor before his.