CROWS STEAL GOLF BALLS.

Shannon News, 22 June 1928, Page 3

CROWS STEAL GOLF BALLS.

MR W. M. HUGHES SCARIFIES THE BIRDS.

SYDNEY, May 18

Crows at Canberra have developer! the habit of sweeping down on goli links, while matches are in progress, and carrying the balls off in triumph. In one day alone, extraordinary to relate, nine balls were carried away in this way by these "pirates." With a game against Senator Duncan well in hand on the Canberra golf course, Mr VV. M. Hughes, M.P., was dumbfounded when a crow pounced upon the ball, and flew across the river with it. "Caw! Caw! Caw!" ihanted the chorus of crows in the neighbouring trees, as if they knew that then victim was "Billy" Hughes. It.was some time before Mr Hughesf spoke. When he became articulate Canberra golfers were spellbound by the fluency of his vocabulary. Translated for publication, the ex-Prinn Minister called upon all the powers to deal with that crow. There was ,\

special direction that all the feathers be struck from the tail. Never, according to the testimony of the audience, has Mr Hughes drawn to the same extent upon his store of expletives since the immortal "Go to blithering blazes" was coined. Mr Paterson, Minister of Markets, was also a victim. Just, as he was congratulating himself that bogey was in sight for the first hole, one of these bird 3 flew down from a nearby tret and carried off his ball.

Unlike Mr Hughes, Mr'Paterson did not use golf language. He recalled that a dozen balls had been carried off by crows during the past few days, and Mr Paterson, whose parents are Scotch, just said: "I wish 1 could find that crow's nest." He wants to know, however, whether it was just a co-incidence that the ball he was using was branded "Kroflite." Anyway, since the crows have, developed kleptomania, with a special partiality for the golf property of Cabinet Ministers, these worthy men say that they now invariably follow up their shots at the double. Perhaps it's just as well Canberra has no facilities for fishermen.