WELLINGTON ITEMS.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9364, 13 March 1896, Page 2

WELLINGTON ITEMS.

[Br Kujbi.]

I hear that Mr Barnard, of Danedin, is expecting anotherßetriever by the Aorangi. Writing to a friend here, he says:—The dog is nine months old, is spoken of as a real good one, and fit to meet anything of his age on an English show bench. In another letter Mr Barnard intimites bis intention of sending a team of Retrievers to compete at the Wellington Show. We are to have some prominent fanciers from Australia present at. our September Show. Mr J. L. Swan is to bring over a team of English Setters for competition. The team will include the champion Rivulet, by Ripple Shot.

An erstwhile Melbourne fancier, who is now located at Petone, intends forming kennels in that suburb, and has aent to Melbourne for Skyeß, Pugs, and Black Cooker Spaniels. This will give a fillip to doggy enterprise here, and will, I hope, reimburse the owner for his enterprise. Negotiations have been pending for some time past between a fancier here and the owner of the Irish Terrier, Dandy IV, but the price asked for this_ noted prize winner effectually prevents his leaving Melbourne for Wellington. This is to be regretted, for •Dandy, by all accounts, is a grand dog, and new fanciers are always acceptable to any club. I hoar it is more than likely that a Terrier will be brought from England to compete with the cracks Portglenone Sprig, and Con Cregan. By the last mail Mr R. Triggs received a photo from an oil painting of the champion Fox Terrier, Dame Fortune, the property of Sir Francis Redmond, and twioe winner of the coveted Fifty Guinea Challenge Cup. Mr Redmond accompanies the gift with his good wishes for the success of the Harewood Kennels for 1896. A private letter from a Dunedin fancier states that Mr Dodds, acting secretary of the New Zealand Kennel Club, intends to call a meeting of the delegates to be held at Wellington on March 20tb. A great deal of business is to be got through, and those who represent the various clubs will have their hands fall. • , /

The lat«3t number of the British Fancier devote 3 considerable space to a review of the late Wellingham Show, and gives New Zealanders a pat on the bock for the enterprising spirit displayed by them in importins and breeding such admirable dogs. Collies and Fox Terriers being specially singled onfc fof commendation. A cricket match took place recently in Victoria, between two elevens representing the kennel and poultry fanciers. Notwithstanding the loud barking of the doggy men, the representatives of the feathers gained the victory. Could not New Zealand arrange for a match. I nmsrire there are rjoite a nr.mber of fanciers here who consider themselves quite proficient wielding tho willow, or hunting the leather.

Some months ago I wrote that Mr Trigs* had entered two Terriers for the Melbourne Produce Stakes and that one entry, that of Ttegjilia. hart l>e<vi refnwxl on the grounds that the bitch had whelped one day prsrjous. to the nomination boinflr sent in. As tba bitf'i had been entered "trictly in accordance with the conditions laid down

in the schedule and catalogue, Mr Trigijs at once wrote to the secretary, and not being able to get a satisfactory answer wrote ugaiu and yet again, being determined not to let the matter drop. By tiie last mail a reason, such as it is, has been given by the secretary, from whose letter I make the following extract *—" The Produce Stakes 1896. The fact ot no notification appearing in the schedule and catalogue that no bitche3 must be nominated prior to dnte of whelping was purely an oversight, which was rectified in the newspaper advertisement prior to the receipt of any nominations." It will be remembered that the bitch was nominated strictly in accordance with the conditions appearing in the '• schedule ami catalogue of the Victorian ! Show of 1895, and now the club turns round anil saSys the conditions were altered by advertisement in an Australian newspaper. I would like to know how could any IsTcw j Zealander discover the alteration. It j is a miserable and paltry excuse, and ! quite in keeping with the treatment j previously accorded to fanciers in this colony ■ by that august body the Victorian Poultry j and Kennel Club. The whole thing savours ' very much of the desiru to run the Victorian show in the interest of Victorians and to I effectually beat oil'outside competition, even at the sacrifice and violation of f*ir dealing. If the conditions were altered as ar;'.ts<l, why were nob the representatives of the j Victorian P. and K. Ulub (of which there j mc two or three members in Wellington) notified, so that fanciers and intending competitors could be advised accordingly. This was the more necessary as Wellington has forwarded nominations for nearly every previous stake. I leave 1113' readers to form their own opinion of such treatment, but would add that had a New, Zealand Club 1 acted in such a, manEeiV'ifc- would -have' been ' promptly howled out ot existence. '. Mr Martin tells mc that he has disposed of ' two of his Lady Darby Retriever pups, one ' to a Fox ton fancier and one in Wellington. ( The balance of the litter were closely over- ; hauled by two well-known fanciers on Friday with a view to purchasing one for a prominent Melboui'ne fancier. The photos of Mr Rhodes' spaniels in last ' week's Heferub were highly appreciated by , the fanciers in this district, and several ; enquiries have been made as to the probable : cost of a pup. ■