THE HARBOUR BOARD "TIP."

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXVI, Issue 17552, 23 April 1919, Page 2

THE HARBOUR BOARD "TIP."

(By Old Salt.") It was cutting cold, q'ernight when the young*un Spotted me stokin' up the fire with one fist and hanging on to my ou( 11 brier" .with t'other; fie got to it straight with "What-oh, Bad, what's your tip for the.Harbour election ?" I lets him get settled., then gets a look at him through the smoke rings curling 'tween us, and saein' a kind of sttuo on his countin' house, I snuggled into my old armchair—silent like —appearing o'erihottghtful over my old toes a-'wag-g;J in' themselves through their worn slippers. ' No committals fer the present, thinks 1.. The young 'un. guessing me "buphed," Btrock quick fer his track, and, says he, "there's no blooming chance for the 'old 'uns' of the Board, Dad—fossilised, mntiquated stock," Bays he* Rtekin' a peea out the corner of my eye, I noticed him doin' up his coat buttons to square up, as the parson says* "the vacuum of his lost v©rbos» ity." Seem' him "winded," I knew my time wa« come, "Tip. for the Harbour Board, -ays I? Well, I'm baokin' common souse and experience every time. Gray heads 1 wisdom, middle heads' <<&• perionce, and young heads' energy mate good mixing, but the lasfc without the rest doesn't ei ways reach "port," my boy. This fere Harbour Board scheme ain't no mud pie picnic—it ain't going to be fixed with a boy and a wheellwrlow, Jad, Harassing letters (or is it " Harris"ing—l ain't no good at this 'ere big apellin') may be good in their way—sti^rin" a bit of mud—but when it ! comes to inudshifting I'm bapkin' the "guption" every time. Yer see, the best machinery -md the best brains make the coin of the job Bigneli cut his eyeteeth doin' some big stunts. M>uli filed !ns ivais'coat at the name game, Bdssett's done soirac big jobs—-on plain water*— while Burgess, as a "snipping" man j&hould hay* say. Then Ro^ingpp \iw : ■fxiribera? mal|i),lattd WiHiams-^-with the i flag, bedad—and here yon are boy, why want more ? For Percy—he's too young yet,, and Sydney—well, let him stick to "holm1 sweet holm, and Charlie —tte'l! be restin'.. don't yet ■■see.; and as Geoffry would be "TyrwJ"—the Btfard ain't hard to pick.at least to an old codger, same as me; so there's the tip my boy, and it's a wiuinng ticket, take it from me.