DUNEDIN LETTER.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 5968, 10 August 1912, Page 3

DUNEDIN LETTER.

(Own Correspondent.)

Have you read the Budget'/ Now J please don't hurry to answer me; 1 know exactly how you feel. ' But, thirteen columns of it! Yes, 1 think 1 am a genuine patriot, a loyal New •Zealander, a member of the ifiugenics Society (subscription Is annually) ana a possible if doubtful, Expansionist., Still, 13 columns (seeOtagp's Daily Crimes of which the Budget ranks among the iirat) ib a great, and trying test. There is -a story told by Macaulay in one ' of his essays that an Italian State prisoner was given his choice of punishment. He could either read through, from first to last, Guicciardjna's history, or go to the galleys. Bravely during he tackled the history but the wai' of Pisa was too much Eor him and he went to the oar.

The moral is uhat if any true born Liberal is compelled to choose between the Budget and the presidency of the iDunedin Expansion League l o t him before shunning the second, as in - ordinary circunistaijces he would in favour of the first, cast an eye over those preliminary two columns of figures in tmall type. These are sullicient to give the boldest pause and to mako him vote for an advance in members' honorariums rather than do it. Happily, one can bo a patriot without reading the Budget for the 0.D.C., with a kindly regard for and insight into the weakness oi our common nature, has 'boiled the whole thirteen of 'em into half a column (see page 17) and thereby placed every loading citizen under an iternal debt of obligation. I have a tender regard for the lead-' ing citizen. He always crops up on these occasions. Whenever tli-- newspapers conio out with anything up to thirteen columns of printed matter variously headed in big type with the words " Land .Policy of the People's Government,'' "Education Commission Report,'' " Financial Statement of the Reactionaries " or something equally misleading, whenever they do this as surely as darkness follows light or light follows darkness (in this niation I am not careful oi the exact order) thero follows the same evening, or the next day, " \ lews of Leading Citizens on the Budget," " Opinions of Leading Citizens on Education," &c, &o. It is these 1 generally glance through. 1 am of an inquiring turn and I really lb'> to know what my leaders say. Only the Press is too considerate. It rarely gives names.. Instead oi [stating plainly that our esteemed iellow citizen, who is an admitted authority 0 n the subject of Finance (or education) Mr .John Thomas Robertson -lonesSmith (be careful to insert the hyphen for in these democrat:: .mc it does not pay to trille with the names of our chief men). What we have is something like this '. " A gentleman high up in the civil service when spoken to bv our reporter," or, "an ex-oilicial who lias held presidential rank in the NV..R.S.A.S." or " A citizen whoso name if mentioned would carry weight (surely not Brother WcManus ?■) said that, he had only had time to glance over the statement (what he mean- is that he had twice read the half column on page 17 0.D.C.) but from what he then gathered the Reactionaries' Budget was something in the nature of a " corker " and, like Wil'iius Ylicawber, ho was, temporarily, " tloored." Your readers, however, will be more than pleased to learn that every telegraph message sent by me to men oi repute was answered with a collect message within live minutes. The only condition attached to my inquiry " What do you think of the Budget?" (I have patented and copyrighted this query) was " not for publication." Therefore I rely wholly on your discretion.

What the Politicians Say. Sir J. G. W : "Urn, a h, yes, yes, what do I think ? Conic, now, what ought I to think : What would you think if another man look your job away and someone met von at the street corner and said " l'y 'George, ho does it better than von!" Eh? What* Would jyou like that? I'll bet you wouldn't. What do 1 think ? Urn, ah, yes, ves ! Oh merely impressions, just impressions, more important work than to study it closely. But, we must wait and see. Of course, they've borrowed fromius couldn't help it—onlv goino to ask for £1,1750,000 are they?" By -Jove I think oot ! They'll want fur moreheaps. Glad, however, to note they have stolen our clothing', old trick of tho Tories that—still do it in Ensland. But I shall be most happy, oh so happy, to help Vm cam- Liberal measures. Bather, rath-e-r-r r-a-t-h----e-r-r " (left soliloquising.,) The Canterbury Liang ■ Trust 'em? Not we ? Don't believe a word of it. Wouldn't trust 'can as far as we could see 'em, Kaise the tax on bin estates ? - Lower the a- r c for old-age pensions ? Throw away the patronage that pomes from a nominative Legislative Council and a nominated civil service | Not thov ! Don't believe it ! All a trick ! Just mere Tory cunning. Why didn't they go and face the people like iwe did ? Why didn't, they run up big travelling expenses bills and call 'em travelling allowances? They don't talk like '.vra did about oppressed workers : they don't Di'oinise more wages and shorter hours like we did ; thev arc not even telling lies ! And, yt. they call themselves a Government■! A precious line Government ar.<l !no mistake ! No jobs, no pii-'-.in-j-. no commissions, and throwing awav their privileges ! Tliey actually intend to stop billet seekers, to see Unit a man Works for his pay ft ud I<> .reduce the cost of running this Dom'mioD of ours ! And the me n who are going to do these tilings call themselves a Government ! Ell, Laureuson, and Russell left gasping.) What the Papers Sa\.

Never in the history of icpresentative government have our irne institutions been so shamelessly degraded and the right of the enfranchised masses so scandalously disnaunkid as by these upstarts who a''' now posturing as a reform Ministry.— Oamaru Slop Pail.

All is over—the worst has come and this once prosperous Dominion lies shamed before the world. We had some hope that our forebodings might not be realised, but, alas that wo should have so to write, ilhc reality beyoud measure is of a deeper, deadlier shame than even we had imagined. There is but one way out. The manhood of the counlrv nrust rise in its might and sweep this nameless abomination of a ministry into the pest house whence it came.— Tickleton Times. We bow our heads in humiliation before the awful visitation. This Ministry has dared to speak and, in speaking, lias sealed its doom. Eor this, at least, we are thankful. But the agony of it.—Southland Shriek. When wo proudly proclaimed, without reservation, and .with not tho shadow of a shade 0 f hesitancy, that what the last elections proved absolutely was the demand of tV people for a continuance, of that Government which for twenty years had gone the pace, we knew what we were talking jabout. The gang who now by bribi ery, lying, slander and jobbery have seized the treasury benches must be I kicked out instanter if not before.— Timaru Ghost.

Wst the People Say. Business Men : Well done, Allen. . _ Moderate M«n: Lone Ki» toMsssey.

. Sensible Men: Character and brains do count.

Nearly Everybody ; Thank goodness we have a crowd we can trust.

Man in the street: Oh, they're alright, give 'em » show. v ' J. «F. A!.: Where do 1 corns, in ■( Hon. G. Fowldi : Has everybody forgotten me ? Payne of Grey Lynn : That crowd ! Your Correspondent: I told vt-n so. Tuapeka Eleotor (proudly) : Don't you forget he's our man ! (1 don't.)