WELLINGTON NOTES

Hokitika Guardian, 4 June 1920, Page 4

WELLINGTON NOTES

U-'ur special Correspondent)

THE RETURNED SOLDIER

HIS CONFERENCE

WELLINGTON, June 2.

The returned soldier has been much in evidence in Wellington during the last few days. /He is holding his annual conference in the o a pital city and by word of mouth and through the columns of the newspapers is informing the community at 'large what he wants and what he is determined to get. There is no objection anywhere to his letting his needs be known or to his pressing his claims for their satisfaction with all the legitimate means at his command. He wants more land and more money and he is entitled to every acre and penny he [country can provide for him. But now he is fifty-seven thousand strong, significantly enough just about one-tenth the voting strength of the whole Dominion, ii portion of him is beginning to talk aggressively of political action and of risking the united goodwill of the public which has served him so well in the past. In theqpinion of many of his best friends hero lies one of his immediate perils. SAVING THE HERDS.

During the last year or two grave apprehension has been expressed by high authorities Jest the growing practice of slaughtering calves at their birth, in order to save the milk they otherwise would consume, should seriously deplete the herds of the Dominion and ultimately produce a beef famine, ihe Department of Agriculture, recognising that the peril was net merely imaginary, set on foot experiments with a view to finding some alternative for the natural sustenance of the calves, the experiments were conducted at the Ruakura and the Weraroa State farms and Mr J. L. Bruce the superintendent of this branch of the Department’s activities, is now able to report that they have been attended by a- very large measure of success. It has been found that by substituting ground linseed, oats and beans for the major part of the milk formerly given to the calves they can be raised in excellent health and condition to the age at which they can shift for themselves at a cost which leaves a substantial margin of profit and gives no excuse for the tragedy.

SUGAR. For two or three years past the Government and the Board oi Trade have been priding themselves upon having made an arrangement with the great Australasian refining company which gave New Zealand absolutely the cheapest sugar in the world. At a matter of plain fact the arrangement was largely due to the desire of the refining company to maintain its very valuable monopoly in New Zealand and to the wisdom of the National Government even in the stress of war-financing keeping the sugar free of customs duty. But in addressing the Fruitgrowers’ Association the other day the Minister ox Agriculture ventured a little too far .n claiming that the Government had achieved a great triumph in maintaining supplies and holding the price down and now the “Post” lias turned upon him. After recalling the miserable system of rationing instituted h<§re, .ha heavy loss of fruit last season and the rest, it asks. “If all this is success, what is failure'?” What indeed!. THE JOCKEY’S DISPUTE.

There is a. general feeling among sporting people here that the conference between Sir George Clifford, the president of the Racing Conference, and the representatives of the professional riders, has brought what is popularly known as the jockeys’ dispute very near to its end. The constituted authorities were extremely lucky in having Sir George Clifford and Hon E. Mitchelsen as-their champions in this'matter. Their intimate acquaintance with the sport, their personality and their tact always gave them an immense , dvantage over the leaders of the incipient revolt. Whether or not the recent con ference sounded the death knell of the Jockeys Association remains to he seen but it is plain already it will have to very considerably revise its constitution and mothods before it can hope co achieve any largo share in the management of the sport. At the same time, in common fairness it has to bo given some credit for having obtained - >m those in authority some recognition- "f he jockey’s grievances.