CORRESPONDENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 September 1921, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

TARURUTANGI CATTLE STARVATION.

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —In your issue on the 9th inst., a dairy farmer of the district was brought before the court by the S.P.C.A. for starving his stock, and the defence set up was that it was o-f importance to farmers of this district. We take that as a down right insult, for it was nothing but pure and simple bad. management on the part of the Young’s that their cattle were starving. As ran the climatic conditions of this past winter, why they have been the mildest experienced for many seasons, which any right minded farmer will tell you. You can take any of the farms in the district, and you will find the stock all strong and healthy. A lot of the holdings are less than half the size of the Young’s property, but are carrying more stock and producing more than double as much. Some of the witnesses said there were other stock in the district in a worse condition. Well, if so, why does not the S.P.C.A. take proceedings against them? But, Mr. Editor, I’ll bet he can’t find any herds in. this locality in the deplorable state as snown m tne case in question. Some of those witnesses, I might tell you, have been proceeded against for allowing stock to wander on the county roads. I hear there is talk of a meeting being held in the hall to discuss the slur east on the district in regard to stock. I don’t think the Tarurutangi Dairy Company would be in that strong financial position it is in at the present' time if wo tried to get our dairy herds to live without food. Goodness knows it’s the cow we should take ouu hats off to every time we meet her, for we have a lot to thank her for.—l am, etc., TARURUTANGI DAIRY FARMER.

MASQUERADE AT OMATA. (To the Editor.) Sir, —The number of characters that may be impersonated, and the variety of fancy costumes that may be devised are infinite, as was shown at the plain and fancy dress ball recently held at Omata. There was to be seen, arrayed in all his stately trappings, the proud Indian chief, of our boyhood’s fancy. The muscular, leaping Zulu, who might have been one of those who swarm fed into Rorke’s Drift, or have been one of the party who ambushed and killed the lamented Prince Louis Napoleon. Nay, he might have been Cetewayo himself. There were also the youthful pirates, and the old gentleman of better days, the devoted “Darby and Joan,” and the gay young “sparks” of society. Then there was the original “Topsy” Old Mother Hubbard, again of childhood's memory, qnd every imaginable character in fun and fancy, down to the present moment, even “Baggy Breeches” herself, all well conceived, and carried out with the one object of giving pleasure alike to the wearers and others who were present to spend a social evening. Amidst this endless variety or fancy costumes and clever characterisation, appreciated by the elders because of the pleasure it afforded the young people, it is to be regretted a discordant note was struck by the action of one person in his impersonation of a clergyman. The impression created by this person’s ill-advised action was intensified by the fact that he. carried a book. This book may have been one of arithmetic, or simple stories suited to the undeveloped mind. Tt certainly could not have been etiquette or good manners, but that it summed up the idea it was intended to convey was only too obvious. Though making no pretence to pose as a moralist, I do most emphatically protest against any attempt to make that which our mothers taught us to hold sacred, a subject of low, very low, comedy. Had a popular vote been taken on this occasion, T feel certain it would have been unanimously in favor of this comedian’s absence, rather than his presence, especially as this was a second offence. In the interest of these assemblies, which are deservedly popular, it is to be hoped we have seen the last of this mock parson.—l am, etc., ONLOOKER. Omata, Sept. 9., 1921. CONTROL. (To the Editor.) Sir, —We have an account in your paper of a collision between a motor car and motor ’bus at Hannah’s corner, fortunately this time without injury to the 1 persons or the vehicles. This corner has long been recognised as a very dangerous one, and no matter what precaution® might be taken the risk is always there. At the same time there is no excuse on the part of the authorities for the slipshod methods at present obtaining in the control of street traffic in New Plymouth, and one has only to go down Brougham Street on any night in a car to realise the utter apathy of pedestrians, loiterers, etc., as to how accidents might happen. No attempts whatever are made to prevent the roadway being absolutely blocked by persona loafing right in the way of traffic; in fact, the habit 'has so long prevailed that to ask some of these people to move is looked upon rather as a piece of impertinence. One rather wonders why the Borough Council appoints inspectors, or rather what is supposed to constitute their duties. Surely they might be better employed in attending to work of the nature to which I allude, than attending football matches, where their attendance is not necessary, or at exhibitions of war trophies, endeavoring to explain -something of which they know nothing, and various other places too numerous to enumerate. At this time of stringency, when money is so scarce with the Borough Council, it is certainly only fair to the general public that salaries paid to their officials should be earned, and that the work expected to be done by some of these officials be better completed.— I am, etc., (EFFICIENCY, i