BRAVE WOMAN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 98, 28 April 1938, Page 9

BRAVE WOMAN.

UPROAR AT SHOW.

CATS WERE DISQUALIFIED. SHOOK FOR EXHIBITORS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, April 23. One of the most interesting features of the Royal Agricultural Society Show is the display of cats, and this year there were 140 entries for various prizes. But this year for the first time the judge in the cat department was a woman and it speedily became clear that this innovation had made a great deal of difference to the proceedings. The new judge, Mrs. W. H. Waters, of Victoria, proved herself not only to be competent and well-informed in her own special line, but also, in the words of one of the stewards, the most courageous cat judge that the R.A.S.S. has ever secured in the 16 years that have elapsed since the cat show started. Greatest Feat. Taking in every class the British show standards for her guide, she applied her tests so rigorously as to do grievous violence to the feelings of many of the exhibitors. Her greatest feat was to disqualify whole classes of white Persians because they had pale green instead of blue eyes. According to British judgments, green eyes are a sign of breed deterioration in Persians. Mr. Lovett, one of the officials, has explained to the "Sun" that in America orange or green is accepted in place of blue, with the result that American Persians are frequently seen with "dirty yellowish-green eyes." But, as Mr. Lovett says, "Sydney is more Americanised than Melbourne," and Mrs. Waters as a true daughter of Victoria refuses to tolerate such heresies. [ Another feat of mental and morali courage was Mrs. Waters' decision to reject 12 exhibits in the "any other!

colour" classes because they were "nondescript" in colour. Mrs. Waters holds that, on the strict reading of the British rules and regulations, the "any other colour" cats must be of some definite and recognised colour, and not merely patchwork animals.

This seems a little rigid to $he j a y mind; but I have no intention of entering into this delicate controversy, and my only purpose just now is to emphasise that one of the show officials termed "the splendid courage" that Mrs. Waters displayed in announcing her decision.

Of course, there was a tremendous outcry from exhibitors, and about 50 of them rushed to the pavilion after the awards were made, demanding to sec the registrar and to be confronted by the judge. Absolutely Final. All that the registrar could tell them was that the judge's decision is absolutely final. To make matters harder for the exhibitors, it was now learned that one of the disqualified cats was champion at last year's show, and another was placed second. In each case they were rejected this year because they had not blue eyes, though, as one of the protesting cat-owners said plaintively, there are practically no blue-eyed Persians in New South Wales.

The exhibitor of these two despised and rejected ex-champions pointed out that they had been placed at the head of their classes last year by a judge who had officiated at this show fori eight consecutive years.

Mrs. Waters was not to be intimidated by the names and reputations of experts. She offered to all protests an adamantine, silence, and according to latest advices she has gone back to Melbourne quite satisfied with what she has done to illuminate the ignorance of Sydney's cat-fanciers.

The A.A.S. Officials seemed at; first a little scared at the independence of judgment and also the temerity that Mrs. Waters displayed. But in the opinion of Mr. Lovett, who is chief steward of the cat section at the show, " in spite of all this uproar, the action of Mrs. Waters will do a lot for prize cat-breeding in this country."

Very likely, but when I read all this. I wondered how many "mere 7iien" would have ventured to disqualify whole classes of exhibits in this heroic fashion—and I am still wondering.