AN OLD TALE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 277, 25 November 1935, Page 12

AN OLD TALE

WITH A NEW APPLICATION THE MINISTER’S NEW CLOTHES Readers Lave no doubt heard the ancient story of 4 4 The Emperor's New Clothes” recorded in the lamous fairy tales of Hans. (J. Anderson. Here is its twentieth century counterpart: In the city of Wanganui, there lived a man of Cabinet fame who was so fond of having new political robes, that he spent ali his life upon dress and finery. He had a coat for every political party in power, and just as in other countries they say of a King, “His Majesty is in his council chamber,” so they have of times passed the word round that “the politician is in his dressing room.” One .day, there came a couple of weavers and described how they cc-uld weave a magic, mystic and beautiful garment. Not only were the colours and pattern of this new political garment to be of remarkable beauty, but the garments made of the material possessed the wonderful quality of being invisible to the eyes u-f such persons as were either not fit for the 'office they held, or irredeemably stupid. “Those would indeed be valuable clothes,” thought the" Emperor as ke remembered, the previous cost of a similar garment - was £7(1,000,000, “for when I put them on, 1 shouid be able to find out which men are unlit for their offices and to distinguish the wise from the stupid ones. 1 must have some of • this stuff woven for me directly,” and Davey and Goodfellow were told to hasten on with their work. They then put up two looms, or printing presses. They asked for the most splendid gold, and pretended to be working, working, working at the empty looms. ‘‘ I should like to know how they are getting on,” thought the Minister of Cabinet fame, still lie felt some misgivings when he remembered that a stupid person, or such as were unfit for office, could not see the material. “Alb, 1 will send by worthy editor. He has a great deal of good sense and nobody is more fit for his office than he. ’ ’

The good old editor accordingly went into the loom and sat down and saw the weavers toiling at their empty looms. Eh, mercy on us, I can soe nothing at all,” but he took care not to say so. The two weavers asked if he did not think the pattern very pretty and the colours extremely beautiful. T-t-t can X be so stupid after all —I never thought myself so, and I must not Kt anyone know it. Could I be unfit for my office? ‘Oh, it must be elegant, most lovely,' ” answered the editor through his spectacles and feeling his moustache, “both the pattern and the colours. 1 ‘shall be sure to tell by noble sire how pleased I am with the ‘ stuff.' ” “We are delighted to hear you say so,” and the weavers got more money, more silk, more gold. They put it into their pockets as before and kept working, working, working at the empty looms. Every visitor spoke of the splendid stuff that was- being woven. The worthy Minister and would-be leader had now mind to see it himself, so he went with his retinue into the room where the two cunning weavers were working away without either warp or woof. “Is it not magnificent?” and they pointed to the empty loom. “Why, how is this” thought the would-be Minister. “I can see nothing whatever. This is quite alarming. Can I be stupid? Am I lit to be the leader of this country?” (The workmen murmured “no”), “inat would be the most shocking thing that could happen to me. Oh, it is very pretty” he cried. “It has my most gracious approval” and he nodded condescendingly as he gazed at the empty 100m —lw he would not own that he saw nothing. “Oh, Ah! it is very pretty” repeated all his retinue, not forgetting his medical practitioner Dr. George. They advised him to put on the beautiful new robes on the day of his public appearance in the great election campaign. The words "elegant, “splendid,” magnificent ” were bandied from mouth, to mouth aud the Minister conferred on the two weavers the title of “weavers to the Democrat Party.”

The two weavers sat up the whole night preceding the day on which the public announcement and presentation wa,s to take place, and had lit up more than sixteen tapers. People could see them busy at work finishing the ministerial robe. They imitated the action of taking the stuff off the loom as they had seen another firm by the name of “Forbes and Coates ’ do, and they cut it out in the air with large scissors aud proceeded to sow' the garments without any needles or thread, till at length they said “the clothes are ready.” The Minister then came in accompanied by t-he principal officers of his wOuld-be Cabinet. When the two old and experienced weavers, each raising his arm, advanced “Sir, here are the trunk hose, here is the vest and here is the mantle. The tissue is as ligfat as a cobweb and one might fancy one had nothing on, but that is just its greatest beauty.'' “So it is” said the officers, though they could see nothing as uouiiing was there to be seen. “Will you, sire, be graciously pleased to take off your clothes,” said the weavers, “and we will dress you in the new ones before this large glass.” The Minister accordingly took off his clothes and as they pretended to dress him in his new political robes, he turned and twisted himself round before the looking glass, looking for something to appease his vanity. “How capitally the colours fit,” said all present. “What a beautiful pattern! What vivid colours! What costly attire!” “hire,” they persuaded him “after 24 years, you have found the garment which will do the trick. “My liege, they are waiting outside with the canopy that is to be carried over the Minister's head in the Dominion wide procession'' cried the master of ceremonies. “Ah, I am quite ready, as you may perceive. My dress fits nicely, does it not?” added* he turning once more to the glass, as if he were examining its beauties most minutely. The lords of the local committee, hefty persons though they were, who were to bear the train, pretended to pick it up from tihe floor with* both hands; fo r they did not venture to show that they saw' nothing. The Minister then went forth, while his attendants exclaimed “dear me! how incomparably beautiful are the Minister’s new clothes. What a fine train

he has and how well it is cut. He would not ‘exchange’ it*for a subsidy, would he, surely?” No one in short would let his neighbour think he saw nothing, for it would have been like declaring himself unfit for his office, whatever that might be, or at the best, extremely stupid. No ministerial robes had ever met with such universal approbation as these, unless it was the famous garments purchased in the year 1928 on the promise of £70,000,909. “But, he has got nothing on” cried at length one little child.

“Only listen to that innocent creature” said the father, and the child's remark was whispered from one to the other, as a piece of laughable simplicity. “But, he Jias got nothing on” cried at length the whole of the crowd. This startled the Minister for he had an inkling that they were right, but he thought “I must nevertheless, face it out till the end. Go on with