NEWS BY MAIL.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 April 1921, Page 3

NEWS BY MAIL.

ANIAIAL TRAINING. HOP LEY, SURREY, Alar. 1. In view of the Bill prohibiting the training of animals for public performances to be introduced in the House of Commons this session, Lord John Sanger gave a demonstration 't his circus Garin near Horlev, Surrey, to-day ol his contention that cruel methods are unnecessary in animal training. He asserts that no animal can lie trained t: hide fear, and no frightened animal will willingly perform. A group of visitors were impressed with the sight of two Indian elephants making their midday meal off a 20-tun haystack, while droves of finely conditioned circus horses and ponies raced about the fields.

Sea lions, elephants, horses —all became on almost confidential terms with the visitors, who frequently found a horse nosing their hands tor a tit-hit. Reward plays an important part in the training, especially of sea lions, whose trainer at Horlev declares that it is solely the hope of reward *'hich enables the sea lion to develop its natural aptitude for balancing. A pair of sea lions liberated from their tank immediately waddled as last as they could to the training ring, where the male on a stool, balanced balls and piles of cigar boxes and tossed up a clown’s hat to catch it on his head in cleverest fashion.

He was rewarded with a herring (he consumes 211 b. of fish a day), and immediately the female clamoured for the chance of earning a fish. Several times she failed, d»ut was encouraged with a small piece of herring. At last she balanced a ball ajul threw up a hat a few inches and caught it. She got half a list, and, persevering gave a creditable show with the cigtir box >s receivin'' increased reward and a patting.

Chunks of mangold persuaded a 6 year old deplume to push a hand car and give one ol the woman attendants - ride, dragging another attendant in a car tied to its tail.

TRUNK MYSTERY PARIS. March 1. ‘‘l am more mother than wife, dramatically explained Mine. Bessaraho at her resumed examination before the magistrate to-day. ‘‘For o years I have suffered, and, if necessary, 1 will die for my daughter.’’ Mine. Bessaraho is accused of murdering her husband and sending his body in a trunk to Nancy Station. Subjected to a long examination by M. Bonin, the magistrate, she maintains her new version of tile crime. (At the last hearing she withdrew her confession of murder which she had made to save her daughter) She now says 'hat site was in the Gare do l’Est with her husband who was leaving for a journey. He went off in a taxicab to fetch somethin'he had forgotten. An hour later the taxicab returned with a travelling trunk containing his body ‘•lt was during that hour that M Bessaraho was killed? asked the magistrate. “I affirm nothing,” the widow replied. ■‘l am just tolling you what I know." When she was asked what- was first packed ill the trunk, which ! was turned into a temporary coffin tor her husband’s remains, .Mine, Bessaraho, who is a novelist denounced her husband as a foul traitor. “Tn the trunk,” she said were books on strategy, plans of new bombing aeroplanes which my husband, wiio was born in Vienna, was going to take to Germany. He loved Germany more dearly than the country which had accepted him as a citizen ‘‘There were plans for destroying an island in the middle of a capital city and that city was not Berlin. Thorn were also details of a lassoo for the propellers of aeroplanes-, f had asked my husband to give them to the French War Minister, lie refused and I never had the courage to betray him.’

DRUNKEN POLICE. NEW YORK, Eeb. 28. Considerable and not altogether favourable comment lias been called forth among the general public by the annual dinner of the New York Police Lieutenants’ Benevolent Fund. This took place at the Commodore Hotel and was characterised by scenes of intoxication and disorder. They had a s: quel at the police court yesterday morning when one of the guests at the banquet, a retired police officer, was charged with drunkenness and disorderly conduct. Guests of honour at the dinner included the Governor of New Jersey, Admiral Glennon, General Wingate and other naval and military officers, with flic Mayor "1 New York, Mr Dylan. ; Accounts of the proceedings relate -how half the guests arrived with supplies of liquor in suit eases in direct violation of the Prohibition law. Others, it is alleged, were provided with flasks in the banqueting hull. When the presiding officer rose about' ten o’clock to make the usual remarks, Ik. was inaudible a ,few .feet from the top of the table owing to the noise. Others, including AdnYiral Glennon and General Wingate, tried to obtain order, but. the excited diners refused to listen. Finally Mr Dylan, in stentorian tones, announced that if order weie not restored ho would call the police. The threat was greeted with loud applause, but was only partly successful.