THE OLD FARCE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6308, 4 August 1888, Page 3

THE OLD FARCE.

DISGUST OF THE SKINFLINTS. CLAPPERS—AND CLAPPERS. [FBOSI OVS, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON, AuGtrsT 3. That well-known old farce, called the Discussion of the Estimates, waß played again this evening to a fair Houße. Of course, reduction after reduction was moved, and equally of course none were carried. Inthe same inevitable fashion, member after member jumped up to protest against reductions made in the case of some officer serving in the district which they had the honour to represent, which officer they begged to assure the House waa one of the hardest worked, most efficient, and oldest officers in the public service. The number of underworked, underpaid officers of exceptional ability and equally exceptional age in New Zealand^ appears to be phenonr.enal. Bufc there is one thing which is more phenomenal still, and that is the number of " careful enquiries" which the Premier and other Ministers have undertaken fco make during the recess into matters of every conceivable kind. If Ministers do nothing else during the recess than make enquiries they will have to sit up all night to do the work. Mr Goldie and the skinflints are utterly disgusted. After so many weeks of plotting and planning not to have won the day on one single little paltry item is really too bad. Poor Mr Goldie ! Unnappy skinflints! Unfortunate Auckland Financial Association ! Mr Kerr made the bull of the session this evening, when giving his views on the proposal to sell the Stella aad Hinemoa, by predicting that "when they are sold the Government will never find a purchaser." AN INTENSELT FUNNT ARGUMENT came on, on the subject of the bell buoy in Nelson Harbour, which has been furnished with a light, and garnished also with a pair of clappers by the Marine Department. For some inscrutable reason these clappers have roused the wrath of the good people of Nelson, and Messrs Levestam and Kerr plunged into an acrimonious discussion onthe point with the Minister for Marine, who treated the whole matter with most deplorable jocu laxity. Over and over again did Mr" Levestam return to the charge, waxing' angrier and angrier as he dilated on the shocking waste caused by these clappers to the Colonial taxpayer. Hon members fairly roared with laughter at his earnestness. The question seemed to turn on the respective merits of the light and the clapper, and at last a member was moved to protest that, though the lasting natnre of the light might be a matter of dispute, Mr Levestam had shown that there was at least a kind of clapper that it was utterly impossible to stop.