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j A PASUÂMENrARY SCANDAL^ j
Booze Debts Unpaid
The fact has leaked oat that five
members of Parliament alone owe no
less than £ 600 to £ TOO between them
to the Parliamentary caterer. One
member-and be has not been very
long a. representative of the people
has run up an account' of £ SO for
5 booze and board. To all intents and
purposes he is a swift coon in the Har
Stakes.
In all these cases the worst feature
is that the loafers make no serious at-
tempt to liquidate their liabilities, and
frequent gentle reminders or direct re-
quests for payment are treated with a
levity and indifference which can only
be regarded as dishonorable, and
totally unworthy a member of Parlia-
ment.
It is the custom at this "best club
in the State" to pass in "chits" for any
liquors ordered or dinners consumed,
and in the cases ot the particular five
members referred to these "chits" have
now mounted up to the enormous sam
of nearly £700.
Some years ago, when Sir John For-
rest was Premier, a similar state of
things occurred. A number of mem-
bers had run in heaps of "chits," and
all efforts to obtain the equivalent cash
failed. Some oí these dishonest deb-
tors had quitted political life, and some
had died, and eventually Sir John
passed their booze bills to the debit oí
the State.
Nothing of the sort will be allowed to
happen on this occasion, and if the five
"chit" merchants don't pay up In full
and in decent time before the elec-
tions, "The Sunday Times" will publish
their names in cold, black type. This
determination is printed here "lest they
forget."
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