BYRD'S DOGS.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19667, 10 July 1929, Page 9

BYRD'S DOGS.

REMOVAL TO MOUNT COOK.

THE GOVERNMENT'S CONDITIONS.

Mr A. Innes-Taylor, the young Canadian who is in charge of the Byrd Antarctic sledge dogs, yesterday received from the Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) the following telegram, setting out the conditions upon which the removal of the dogs from Quail Island to the Mount Cook region has been approved. The test of the telegram is as follows: — "Government have decided allow dogs to be taken to Mount Cook region sub- | ject execution by you and two approved sureties of bond for five hundred pounds, to adhere to certain conditions, which may be summarised as follows: — "(1) The dogs shall be kept under secure control, and no dog shall be permitted, allowed, or suffered to obtain its liberty; "(2) The dogs to be subject to supervision and inspection of stock inspector Fairlie; "(3) No dog of any age shall be sold or given away to any person in the Dominion; "(4) No animal shall be allowed to have contact with any dog domiciled in New Zealand; " (5) If circumstances prevent shipment of dogs to Antarctic, they shall be reshipped to North America or elsewhere; "(6) No transfer of dogs from the Hermitage or adjacent region shall be made without prior approval of the Minister for Agriculture. "The Director-General of Agriculture is communicating with you and forwarding the necessary document for completion."

According to Mr Innes-Taylor, Commander Byrd and the members of the expedition will greatly appreciate the Government courtesy in this matter.

The dogs will leave Lyttelton on two motor lorries belonging to the Mount Cook Motor Company about nine o'clock this morning, and will arrive at The Hermitage this evening. The dogs will not be taken out of the crates in which they will be transported till to-morrow, when they will reach their winter quarters. A base camp has been established in a depression on the Tasman moraine from which the dogs will be used to transport the material for building the new Malte I>run Hut. Sheepowners' Union Viewpoint. From Dr. C. J. Eeakes, Director General of Agriculture, Mr W. H. Nicholson, secretary of the Sheepowners' Union, yesterday received the following telegram:— '•Hegarding Antarctic dogs: Government, after earefcl consideration and on understanding that station-owners in Mackenzie district have withdrawn their objections, has decided to allow them to be taken to Mount Cook, subject to a bond being entered into to adhere to the conditions." [Here follow the conditions as set out in the Prime Minister's telegram to Mr A. Innes-Tayior.] Mr Nicholson told a representative of The Press that as far as. he knew the sheepowners in the Mount Cook region had not withdrawn their opposition. The attitude taken up by the Sheepowners' Union from the ontset had been that the sheepowners should not be called upon to shoulder the responsibility in eormexiori with th& dogs. The Govern-

merit now had undertaken the responsibility which the Union always* had maintained it should do. The Union had entered its protest at the outset, and had safeguarded the position as far as the sheepowners were concerned.