TOPICS OF THE TIMES

Southland Times, Issue 18822, 15 May 1920, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE TIMES

Dignified and impressive even at the end of a rope, in transit from terra firma, the horses of St. Marks have reascended to their accustomed place, just above the portal of the Basilica of San Marco in Venice, and the celebration of their return is described as having been “the greatest event in Venice since the beginning of the war.” No other city can claim such horses, nor is the statement of whoever once called them the oldest, and at the same time most travelled, horses in the world, easily disputed. Nobody knows how old they are, although an effort has been made to date them by arguing that they were the work of the Hellenic master sculptor, Lysippus. Tradition starts them on their travels in Greece, carries them to imperial Rome, then on from declining Rome to Byzantium, and later to Constantinople, where they are said to have been placed in the Hippodrome when Constantine the Great transferred his capital, and the Four Horses, from Byzantium. There they stood for about eight centuries, resting until the conquerors of Constantinople carried them to Venice, and in Venice Napoleon in due season took a fancy to them and sent them to Paris. Restored to Venice after 13 years in France, they stayed there an even century and went on to Rome during the world war, to avoid the possibility of Teutonic destruction or possession. No wonder the Venetians celebrated.

The New York State legislature has provided a sharp lesson for sportsmen the world over. For some time now the deer in the State, as in other enlightened States, have been protected by the Doe law, which prohibited the shooting of the female deer. The),law was introduced and passed because the herds were being slowly but. surely wiped out. The Doe Law, however, checked the retrograde movement and led to an improvement in the position. Last year, in spite of the protests of sporting people, the State Congress repealed the Doe Law. Twelve months have been sufficient to show that the legislature blundered. With all barriers removed the shooters of deer sallied forth in droves and the herds were reduced by 20,000 head during the season just closed. Some of the preserves were almost exhausted in the one season, and so many does were killed that reproduction is going to be slow for many years to come. An unexpected effect of "the repeal of this law was the casualties among shooters. The influx of inexperienced shots made the woods extremely dangerous. Nine hunters were killed and seven were wounded diming the season, owing to reckless shooting. This one season has been enough for the Game Commissioners of the State who are demanding the re-instatement of the Doe Law and the limitation of one buck per hunter, with a shorter season, in order that the herds may recover. They declare that the legislature must choose between the intelligent protection of the deer and their extermination.

Occassionally news drifts through of cases in the United States that parallel the famous aerodrome expenditure in Britain. Recently it was disclosed in Washington that during the war a plant for the production of picric acid was built by the U.S. War Department at a cost of £1,250,000, and it was sold recently at auction for £134,000, without having produced a ton of anything.