The stories this week about our legislators enjoying weekends in Maui at the expense of the Oregon Restaurant and Beverage Association and its members brought to mind this passage from The Apple Cart, a play by George Bernard Shaw. The play describes a polite power struggle between Magnus, the king of Great Britain, and his prime minister, Proteus. The cabinet includes a number of party hacks, some devoted public servants, and a union leader, Boanerges, as the minister of labor. Early in the play the ministers admit that most of them are directed by a large industrial combine, Breakages, Ltd., which wines and dines them regularly. As they discuss this, one minister, Crassus, invites them all to lunch at the Ritz, saying grandly that Breakages, Ltd. will pay, and only Boanerges turns him down:
PROTEUS. His last wriggle. Never mind: we have him safe enough. What about lunch? I am starving. Will you lunch with me, Lizzie.
LYSISTRATA. Dont speak to me. [She rushes out distractedly].
AMANDA. Poor darling Lizzie! She's a regular old true blue Diehard. If only I had her brains and education! or if she had my variety talent! what a queen she'd make! Like old Queen Elizabeth, eh? Dont grieve, Joe: I'll lunch with you since youre so pressing.
CRASSUS. Come and lunch with me--all of you.
AMANDA. What opulence! Can you afford it?
CRASSUS. Breakages will pay. They have a standing account at the Ritz. Over five thousand a year, it comes to.
PROTEUS. Right. Let us spoil the Egyptians.
BOANERGES [with Roman dignity] My lunch will cost me one and sixpence; and I shall pay for it myself [he stalks out].
Who among our legislature buys his or her own lunch instead of accepting the hospitality of our state's version of Breakages, Ltd.? Now would be a good time to mention that happy fact in public.