WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3503, 4 June 1920, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS

(Special Correspondent.) I "”" 4 WELLINGTON: June 2. ‘ THE RE’l‘Ußr\’ED SOLDIER. 1 The 1-eturned soldier has been much} in evidence ‘in Wellington during the‘ last few days. He is holding his annual conference in the._._capital_ city, and by Word of mouth‘ and through the colnmns 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 the country can provide for him. But now he is fifty-seven. thousand strong, significantly enough just about onetenth the voting strengh of the whole Dominion, ‘a 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 the opinion of many of his best friends here lies one of his immediate perils. s.-WING THE HERD. , During the last year or two grave apprehension has been expressed by high authorities lest 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. The Department of Agriculture, recognising that the peril was not 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 Wamroa State farms, and Mr J. L. Bruce; the superintendent of this branch of -the Departnlen\t’s acltivities, is [now able to report that they have beer attended by a very large measure 01 success. It has been found that by substituting ground linseed, oats and beans for the, major part of the mill formerly‘-given to the calves they car he raised in excellent health and con dition to the age a.t which they can shift for themselves at a cost whicl leaves a substantial margin of profi and gives no excuse for the tragedy. ' SUGAR. _ For two or ‘three years past th Government and the Board of Trad have been priding‘ themselves upo: having made an “arrangement with th great Aust‘ralasian grefining compan; which gave New Zealand absolute]; the cheapest sugar in the world. A a matter of plain fact, the arrange ment wasllargely due to the desire 0 the refining company to maintain it "very valuable .monopoly in New Zez land,-and to the wisdom of-the Na tional Government even in the stres of war-financing, keeping the suga free of Customs duty. But in addres ing the Fruitgrowers’ Association th other day the Minister of Agric-ultu:

ventured a little too far in claiming'| that the Government had achieved :11 great triumph in maintaining supplies and holding the price /down, and now’ the Post has turned upon him. After recalling the. miserable system of ra-| tioning instituted here, the heavy lossof fruit last season and the rest, it‘ asks, “If all this is success, What is failure?” \Vhat indeed! » THE J OCKEYS’ 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 popu-- ‘ larly known as the jockeys’ dispute‘ very near to its end. The constitutedi authorities were extremely lucky in; having Sir George Clitford and the‘: Hon. E. Mitchelson as their champions in this matter. Their'intimate acquaintance with the. sport, their personality, and their tact always gave them an immense advantage over thee leaders of the incipient revolt. Whe‘-the-r or not the recent conference sounded the death knell of the Jockeys’ Association remains to~be seen, but it is plain already it will have to very considerably revise its constitution and methods before it can hope to achieve any large share in the management of the sport. At the same time, in common fairness, it has to be given some credit for having obtained from those in authority some recognition of the jockoy’s grievances.