WHO IS THE OWNER, EH ?

Star (Christchurch), Issue 493, 15 December 1869, Page 3

WHO IS THE OWNER, EH ?

«. The following auecdote is told in illustration of the folly of the American Government in expecting to be faithfully served when it pays insufficient wages, and offers no career or security of position to honesty and integrity. The law requi -es that an officer shall be placed in each distillery to watch over-the business, and to see that the distiller pays the tax upon all the spirits which he makes. A supervisor recently removed one of these officers and appointed a new one in his stead. The distiller, who was a German, named Schmidt, soon after met the supervisor, and thus accosted him: — " Vat for you move Mr Shones ? You tinks I own him, eh ? Suppose I does, how you going to help it ? I own the other man you sends too." " Quite likely," was the supervisor's reply, but then I'll move him too." "Veil," said Schmidt, "you can't help it. I own them all. Does you vant to know how its done ? Veil, I tells you candid. Saturday comes; I say to Shones, ' You got a wife; live iv a tenement house, eh V He says ' Yes.' I says, ' Does you ever go to de park, and take de family for a drive ? Never take de wife to opera, eh ? ' He says ' No.' 'Like to?' 'Yes.' 'Well,' 1 says, 'take dat letter to your wife.' He ges home and says, 'Wife, here's a letter a gentleman sends you.' She wonders what it is, opens it, and there's one, two, three, six, one hundred dollar greenbacks — all new. They never see so much money before. They go to the park, and buy lots of tings for children. You pay him four dollars a day; I give his wife six hundred a week. Who owns him— you or me ? How are you going to help ? I say nothing to him— l only send de letter to his wife ? How you help it, eh ? " MM————*-—