PIGEONS FOR FRANCE

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16264, 15 July 1918, Page 4

PIGEONS FOR FRANCE

BIRDS FROM NEW ZEALAND

Some time ago a returned Australian soldior, who had been attached to the Pigeon Service Corps in France, wrote to the New Zealand Defence authorities suggesting that Homing pigeons should bo sent, from New Zealand ior use in .Franco.. The authorities communicated with the Imperial authorities on tne matter, ana a reply came back "Send 6UO birds, as young us pos-. siijlo, and n.s soon jus possible." 1 itio New Zealand JJvlence JJcpaitment then communicated with tlio various pigeoa clubs throughout New Zealand. The Canterbury Pigeon i'iyiiig Club repliedoffering luO and tney also sent one ot their memoers, 3ilr O. Kirkley, to Wellington to make arrangements with the Defence Department for the collecting and shipping of the birds. Mr Kirkley also offered to act for the Dcfcnco' Department in collecting the birds, by getting into touch with tho various Associations throughout New Zealand, and arranging with them for the collection of birds* and other details. This offer was acccpted, and the Department gave the' whole business into Mr Kirklev's hands. Tho Department will have lofts orected on every transport, on which there is availablo space, and it will bo Mr Kirkley's duty to see that theso lofts are filled. At a meeting of the Christehurch Pigeon Flving Club, held on Saturday night, Mr Kirklcjr attended, and reported on his recent interview, with tho military authorities in Wellington. Hp read a* memorandum that, he had prepared for tho Defence Department with regard to the collecting and the shipment of the birds. He also gave details of the arrangements that had been made by the Defence Department for the accommodation of the birds on the transports. Lofts of an approved pattern would bo erected on every transport on which there was spaco. The speaker said that tho Defence Department would notifv him when spaco was availble on a transport, and how many birds could be carried. •It had also l>een suggested that some birds coiud be sent away on cargo boats, on which there would probably be more space. However, there was nothing definite as to when they could get birds away, or how many they would get • away at a time. They might take a year to get 500 away, or they might get that number awav on the first boat. Everything depended on the. shipping available. The authorities had also promised to arrange for men going away with the Reinforcements who had had experience with Homing uigeons to look after the birds on the voyage, and they would also arrange for capable men l being put on the cargo boats. The birds would have to be collected in Wellington at short notice, for even the Defence Department did not know until a few days previously when a boat would sail. It was therefore absolutely necessary that one man should have control of the whole business. In fact, the Defence Department would not have it otherwise. For one thing, they could not correspond with people all over the country and give away the secret information with regard to the times of the sailing of transports. Ihe Department wanted one responsible agent, with whom they could correspond, and whom they could hold responsible for the collection of the birds in Wellington. Mr Kirkley said that, in liis memorandum he had suggested that the Department should build a large pigeon- house in Wellington, where the birds could be kept pending shipment, but the Department did not favour this if it could be done without. Mr Kirkley pointed out that there would be great difficulties in the way of collecting the pigeons. He would never know how many might be wasted. He might get an order for 100 birds or 300 birds. The difficulty would be to know exactly where to get the birds. The Department had suggested that each club should be called upon to supply quotas in order. They considered that this would be better than receiving small lots of birds from all over the country. Mr Kirkley said, however, that this would be impossible, as a small club might get an order for a big supply of birds that would be beyond its capacity. He added that the first batch of birds might be wanted in three, weeks' time.

The report was received, and a hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr Kirkley. ' Some discussion then took place on the report. An opinion was expressed that it would be absolutely necessary that a depot should be erected in Wellington for the collection of the bird*.

Mr Kirkley said that he thoueht the Department would build the depot if he nointed out the necessity for it. He said, however, that so far the Tmnorial Government had askwd for 500 birds only. The Defence Department had promised to cable Home to the TVar Office, asking them if tb<*v' wonld want for the sTft>, but so far no reply had been received.

It was decided to recommend to Mr Kirkley that he should commnnieate with the other Homing "Pigeon Club's in New Zealand, as ting them what they could do towards supplying the fi>-s£ quota of 500, and that lie should instinct private fanciers, who offered birds, to send them throueh the nearest club, so that there be some roarnntee that tho birds were well-Bred Homers.

Tt mi»ht bo mentioned that Mr l\irfclev has offered to do the work-of colIfiofcing the pigeons for nothing.