Nom d’un… Cheval!
Maître Duval a eu des ennuis pour prouver la chose simple qu’il est le locataire d’une chambre appartenant à M. Joomye.
Le 28 mai 1956 pourtant, M. Joomye, conseiller municipal, notifiait à la municipalité que Me Duval était son locataire depuis septembre 1955 — dans une lettre sans date.
M. Joomye et Me Duval sont deux membres en vue du Parti Mauricien. Me Duval, locataire depuis septembre 1955, paie la taxe locative en mai 1956 pour la première fois — non pas pour être électeur, non, jamais, mais tout simplement pour se mettre en règle.
Me Duval et M. Joomye se sont occupés des inscriptions pour le Parti Mauricien. (Oui alors!)
Pour deux raisons Me Duval loue une chambre à Port-Louis. D’abord (ou ensuite) pour que sa tante hiverne à Port-Louis, et ensuite (ou d’abord) pour aller voir l’entraînement des chevaux.
En septembre 1955, c’est-à-dire à la fin de la saison des courses et au début de l’été, Me Duval loue une chambre à Port-Louis pour aller suivre l’entraînement des chevaux et pour permettre à sa tante de “hiverner”.
Me Duval prend 25 à 30 minutes pour venir de Rose-Hill à Port-Louis en auto!… Il lui manque une auto puissante… une Jaguar!
Qu’à vu Me Duval à l’entraînement?
Les chevaux de l’écuire Rochecouste l’intéressent particulièrement.
Il a vu Jurançon — et ça c’est possible.
Il a vu Delidor — et ça c’est possible.
Il a vu Enigmatique — et Enigmatique était mort!
Ah! cet Enigmatique! il porte son nom… De son vivant il n’avait même pas besoin de s’entraîner pour gagner… et maintenant qu’il est mort, et qu’il ne court plus aux courses, il vient s’entraîner!
Selon les derniers renseignements, Me Duval était à l’entraînement, ce jour-là, avec Paul et Virginie. Et ils ont pu voir aussi sur la piste, tout de suite après Enigmatique, Napoléon sur son cheval blanc, Marius et Olive, Laurel et Hardi.
Mon Oeil!
* * *
News and Views
Comments on a B.B. Match
On the evening of the 21st instant a basket ball match was played at Port-Louis. The Chinese “Dragons” opposed a Malagasy team. The Dragons, true to the name they bear, are tough players. And so they gave our guests a hard time. This exasperated a high official of the French Consulate who could not resist making, loudly enough, some unpleasant remarks. Naturally that was not appreciated by all the spectators.
Transported by emotion, he forgot that there was a referee who was umpiring the match and who, incidentally, happened to be a member of the Malagasy team. At one time that official exclaimed: “Les dragons jouent brutalement.” At another he was heard saying: “ça ce n’est pas du basket ball, c’est du rugby!”
Of course every spectator has the right to make comments on a match. But when the match was so impartially and tactfully umpired by one of his compatriots, the task to make comments, if any, ought to have been left to the umpire.
* * *
Incident in a Hospital
In the silence of a night in a hospital while nurses and patients were quietly resting after either a day’s work or suffering the hospital was aroused by frantic shouts. Everybody was eager to know what was the cause of that unusual happening.
One version of the story is that some big guns had, perhaps through sheer ignorance, trespassed into a sanctuary which is reserved for one sex only. Another version is that these people wanted to have the injured finger of one of their mates X-rayed that very night. But finding that no such facility was available they were exasperated and began cursing the administration. Presuming that the second version of the story is genuine, no wonder that only when some big guns become victims of the inadequacies and slackness of the Medical & health Dept. (and about which the public had been grumbling for so long) that they realize that everything is not rosy in the Health Department.
Now that people of high ranks have become victims, can we hope that they will not try to whitewash the affairs of that Department?
* * *
Labour condemns PR
In a pamphlet entitled: ‘The Labour’s Colonial Policy — The Plural Society’, at page 21, the Labour Party of UK has officially condemned the application of PR in the proposed Constitution for Mauritius. The colonial policy of both Labour and Conservatives are on general lines, almost akin. We think that it will be rash on the part of the Conservative government to dismiss lightly that decision, the more so because there is the likelihood that the next Government will be formed by Labour.
The greatest credit for persuading the Labour Party to take that historic decision goes no doubt to the bosses of the Mauritius Labour Party. But other forces too have worked in that direction. We cannot escape a few names among whom comes that of Mr J.N. Roy. He has been regularly corresponding with several MPs especially with Mr Bevan, the Labour Secretary of State for the Colonies in the Shadow Cabinet, with Messrs James Johnson, Griffith, Brockway and others.
The ‘Down with P.R. Campaign Committee’ has also contributed its bit. Besides various documents related with the PR controversy, it has sent by air freight several series of the debates on the constitutional proposal only two days after this publication to some Labour MPs and institutions. Finally, the Mauritius Times, which is regularly read by several top Labour MPs has, we hope, added to the sum total of the efforts. Finally we cannot forget one more name: that of Peter Ibbotson. He has not only been the unofficial PRO of Mauritians in London, but has also carried a press campaign in the UK against PR.
* Published in print edition on 27 July 2018
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