THE FEATHER FANCY

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 276, 14 August 1908, Page 11

THE FEATHER FANCY

[Noteb dt "DbiiiKq."]

From ' a correspondent, signing himself "Buffiblefoot," I have'received, tho following:— 1 ■ ' i. "To the Editor Feather Column. Sir,-r-1.. have been a constant, reader, of The ' Domtoion, and always look forward to ■Friday's jssu'o-for'the feather fancy column, which has' done a lot to further the interest in this hobby.- I would like to have your opinion on the following, which is of conaiderable importance to breeders: —(1) North Island * Championships.—At the Newton Show, holt], ettrlj in July last, the championship forj'ttifigpie pigeons was competed for. _ I have' always understood that in all championships, classes must be provided for, for both young and old birds. - If-there is a rule to that effect tho championship which was com-: jjcted for at Newton, must become void, beeiuso only one class was . provided for, akmelv, cocks and hens, instead of adult cocky cock under 12 months, and hen (adult), aiid;.hen under 12 months. (2) Judges taking othfer classes than those-which-the show adveftistSS they will judge.— I This is a,most unjust prUc,Wiling, -as 1 feel sure you will agree. Take,' fbt 1 instance,, a. young fancier, who. shows a team of birds.! at,, say Wellington, and tho birds are judged-by Judge A; Ho is beaten in all classes, but is not quite sure that he is a better bird; so, seeing that Judge B is judging at a Jater show', ho,decides.-.to show under him. The show comes along, and Judge A finishes tho classes that ,are.;alloted. to him.' and. is asked to tako some of? tile Classes that'should bo judged by Judge B. He does so, and the faflcier that hasv' seht his team, for judge B to judge, has. lus birds judged , again by A. Hd does " riot know, that A nas judged them again, and'-thinks that he has been iinsuccess-ful'undcr-lioth judges, and thinks his birds are.no sorid. Trusting you can find space in your valuable column for these lines. —I . am, etC; ' ' : . . BUMBLEFOOT. •Wellington',^August f>, 1908.~ Answer Wguery No. I.—''Bumblefoot" is quite m what he understood.- I havo taken the trouble'to find out from the Welthe; purport of a resolution submitted ' : by them their delegate the annual meeting of- tho North: Island. 'Association; hcldxat Wanganui on July 4, '1906.V This was as follow:—"New rule — Anyaffiliated: Society,, or club, haying _. a championship; allotted to thein must provide in f thei'r T schedule a-classification for both adtljt * and? yotitig-. birds with sex divided." This .motiofi'was catiied. Now, in the face of this,-'tho Newton Club, as my correspondent out, provided only adult classes, quite.contrary to the rulo. It will be interesting /.to know how-tho North Island Asaqcistion!will deal with this matter. To my mind?; the, should ,be declared void. ' vt-..' ,- v - " No. 2—From information gleaned, 1 'msy atato that some discussion took place at'a-meeting' of ■ the.-Association held at Palmfirptbn : iNorth regarding this matter;' and it was clearly' understood that, j. although societies could not aljvays guarantee to keep to" s tho jiidge - announced on. the schedule'(as jn'-'tliß case of illness, etc.),. the practice of, substituting judges at the last moment was t-ovb'e:- discburagofl. Clearly it is a case of breaking faith, with an exhibitor to. substi-tdtojother-than the scheduled judge, and it is', aTrtlattfer that societiei'should take notice of*. ' iiti is,-uhfair ,to .the exhibitor who has ptiid.'-his ciitrancq fee., Tho. practice is becoming! far .too common for .societies to allow jUdges:ito;chop and change with the varieties/wljioh they,,are appointed to adjudicate upon,- iind it\ is time (exhibitors took a hand in; this; matter, and refused to .allow, their birds; to be judged by other than the duly ajipointed judge. , : -

.Another niattir upon which my opinion has beefl&jjkefjjis—W.fether, pigeon; andicimf)ry clubs; r so. far as their- foe.'tp; the! is/concerned.". 'For the benefit of inquirer I .may state, that" at the, rneoting" at Wangamii Rule Bj'.w'a_s r :altereH to.,read annual s(ibscriptidri' of' each " affiliated "society, "or club,"shall; be as follows:—Societies.or clubs holding > one . day's show,. £2 ~25.; two . days' show, ', £3 3s:; three or more dajjs' show, £4 .4s.';j pigeon and canary., association , or clubs holding' shows (and not having_ championships granted them), £1 Is." J'rom.a perusal;of.the last balance-sheet issued by the Association I am inclined to the belief thit the rule has -not been obeyed here, inasmuch as the Newtown Club, holding a tWO' days' show and having "threo championships," 'js credited with paying the fee ■of, oiie guinea.' I trust, that affiliated societibs'will take notice, and'instruct'their delegated to next meeting to discuss this matter.' A ffee of ; one guinea for the pick of the pigMn, and cafiary championships at a two diiys' ishow' is. an injustice to ,the struggling societies called upon-to pay three and four guineas, -and having the almost obsolete championships given to them.

.' At the'; rectat New Plymouth show I notice';;/'Judge Woodwttrd awarded ,two championships.-' provisionally ilpon there being a rule/; governing, these championships relating to :the merit of tho .exhibit. In other words, the']jujdge,-.(Jid .not .cousidor. the exhibit' " of sufficieht/nierit" for championship honours, but !: iiy.;the absence of specific instructions ha'd"to award the honours to the best birds, in'.tho varieties. It. will be difficult to find an'.Association, rule to" meet the case, but geilorallyltjjo regulation of.the Eociety covers, this'when a " judge; is instructed to 'withhold awiirds if the exhibit is considered of insufficient .'merit.'.' Fa'r better had the jndgo adopted ,this., usual course and declined to ■make awards'."'' ,r. ' < —: —; —■ ' The Taihape Show was allowed to lapse. WJth .this snow-also- lapsed for the season 1908. tjie Silver Spangled Haitiburg an d tho Variety - Bantam, Champifinships. • This is very hard on the admirers of these two .varieties,-. especially aslegs-in" are held in both, by different exhibitors.-

-li; v - A'/remarkable instance of a great rise in tho value of : pictures occurred at Christio's Londbri .'auction rooms recently. Gainsborough's 1 portraits of his daughter, Mary, and,;of his when last they camo 'undef the hammer, in 1878, sold; for 378gs. and 357g5. Respectively—fetched no. less than 4500g5. and 2650g5. Englishmen do not notice how their wbmen-folk are dressed. Tho Frenchwoman pa'sses ;her life challenging attention, and triumphantly earning the reputation of being, up to' forty-five, tho best turned-out woman in the world. But. it is the passionate solicitude of'her countrymen which .make 3 her so.—" Sketch." " Some preach Socialism as tho opposite of individualism, but wo cannot havo a hc&lthy, civilisation unless the two are developed sido by. side. A pure Socialism would mean an iritolerablo tyranny; a.pure individualism an unspeakable anarchy.—"Argus," Melbourne. Whaterer. her hand finds to do she does it 'with' her might. Therein lies the secret of Vthe modern woman's success. Tbo rapid dcscerit. of man has undoubtedly, been prcsaoj eismpjont stq* and;hi» unbonnded capacity for taking things eiiyi-t" Madanio." "

;.A fine of £20 was imposed at Bow Street on Hermann Appenrodt for erposing for sain at his shop, 366 Sirand, two unsound pork pies. -Defendant .was given r high character, ahd hit counsel said the pies had been obtained from a firm of tho. highest repute. ■ It; is recognised by those upon whom fxlli the task of guiding and'controlling the des-tinies-of tho'British motor industry as » whole that our; market j s over-competed. Thel-e must be a weeding out, and in such processei the - weaker inevitably succumb.— "Motoring Illustrated." ; [Somebody is going to dominate this great ocean. .'lf the United States doesn't do it— if Uho' foolishly throws away her chancethen Japan Will do it, Tho course of a sound statesmanship, now that wo havo a vastly overmastering force in the Pacific, is to maintain that status. It can be donp easily and . naturally. without' exciting suspicion or resentment.— Argonaut,", San. Francisco. . : For. Children's Hacking Cough at. night, Wood's Great Peppermint Cure. Is. 6d. and ga. 6d. , CM