NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 257, 25 July 1921, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY

An ill-wind in Britain seems likely to bring good and relieve the anxieties of New Zealand dairy farmers for the coming season. For some time past there Jias been an uneasy feeling among dairy farmers that there would be a substantial drop in next season’s dairy produce prices in the markets overseas, but the drought in England lias changed the outlook very materially. The misfortunes of the British dairy farmer* are the . ill-wind which is bringing good to the farmers here and in Australia. Cable messages to hand to-day confirm previous news as to the butter shortage that is imminent, and tho latest information as to cheese prices is also encouraging for our own dairy farmers and incidentally for the Dominion generally. Many of our returned soldiers went in for dairy farming, some of them on land bought at boom-price values. Another season of good prices should go a long way inwards placing them on a sound footing, whereas a bad season would have left some of them in serious difficulties.

Glancing through tho report of the Racing Commission one gathers the impression that tho commissioners havfl carried out a difficult task with impartiality and common sense. There will, of course, be nn outcry from some of the disappointed clubs. Unless the Commission had recommended tho Increase of totalisator permits on a wholesale scale some were bound to •go short of their desires. As 't is, the suggested increase is a moderate one, and the new permits have been well distributed. The position relating to the Avondale Club is distinctly unsatisfactory, and it is rather surprising, in view of the general policy, that the racing authorities have not of their own volition taken action to place the club on a more satisfactory footing. If we understand the position correctly, a club can now restrict its membership, acquire property out of the profits it makes from tho public at its race meetings, and if the members so determine, stop racing altogether and dispose of the property amongst themselves. The Avondale Club, of course, has- nqt done this, but apparently it and other clubs are in a position to do so if they desire. The Racing Commission very properly stigmatises it as entirely objectionable that any proprietary element should exist in racing clubs or tho courses controlled by them, and says this sort of thing should be rigorously eliminated. The general impression of tho public, whots patronage provides the chief source of revenue of the racing clubs, has been that the proprietary element had already been eliminated. If such is not tho case, then the sooner the matter Is put right the better it will be for the sport of horse-racing.

One of the difficulties encountered by those who are supervising the work of reconstruction in the war-devastated districts of Franco arises out of the rooted determination of the villagers to hav# tilings restored as nearly at* possible to their former state. Many of the towns and villages destroyed were badly laid out, with narrow and crooked streets, and contained houses which left a great deal to be desired from tho standpoint of health, comfort, and convenience. Tho authorities supervising the work of restoration are anxious to rebuild the shattered villages on modern town-pianning lines, but in this design they are obstinately opposed in some cases by the people chiefly concerned. "If left to themselves Joan and Jeanne,” to quote an American writer, "would rebuild their homes and shops exactly as they were before German artillery reduced them ro dust and tender memories. A shopkeeper fears that his customers will not find h'lH shop unless it is the replica, of its predecessor. And madam would like to have her spinning-wheel set as it was when she stopped spinning in 1914.” A typical example of tho opposition raised to improvement is afforded in the case of Bapaumo. The Mayor (M. Gaston Stenne) urged his follow-ciiieens to profit, from tho opportunity arising out of the complete destruction of their town to build it anew with wide avenues and well-lighted houses. 'No more crooked streets!" he said. No more unhealthy lodgings! Bapaumo must ba a model town." On ell sides, however, objections were raised to "wasting a lot , of good land" and "upssttlng the habits

of centuries," and these objections tvefe not wholly silenced even when M. Stenne considerably modified his original plans. In spite of such difficulties, the reconstructionists are hopeful. Many rebuilding plans havo been drawn up on modern lines. As an example of what is possible Pinon, in Northern France, is to bo rebuilt as a model village with funds raised in America, and no doubt the object-lesson provided here and in other places, where ideas of progress and improvement have prevailed, will assist materially in overcoming conservative prejudice.

People occasionally ask liow long It will bo before tho moving pictures talk as well as move. Inventors have been devoting close attention to tho question of speaking films for many years, and in London last month great interest was aroused by the demonstration ot a singing film. The voice was that of Carrow singing "On With tho Motley," and though it was another singer who was seen on tho screen, the illusion was described by the London "Times” as perfect. Tho new process was originated by a Mr. G. R. Webb, of Baltimore, and comprises a transmitter connected electrically with reproducing instruments in tlie frame of the screen, tho whole being automatically controlled by the movement of the film. A double turntable arrangement enables the machine to change from one record to another without pause or interruption of any sort. Tho whole of the mechanism, it is stated, can be fitted to any ordinary kinema projector. Although it is thus possible to produce a picture in which a single person speaks or sings, the difficulties in the way of, say, a five-reel play are enormous. Every scene would havo to be rehearsed until the actqi-s were word ns well as action perfect, as any interruption would destroy synchronisation and mean starting the whole scene over again. Then once tho picture was made cuts would be impossible. A film occasionally gets torn in .running through tho projector, and a few feet have to be cut out. It is impossible to cut a gramophone record in this way, and thus the. least accident to the film would destroy tho whole illusion. Ultimately some way will doubtless be found of overcoming these difficult obstacles, but it seems that short moving and speaking films with a. single performer may become a marketable commodity in the near future.

The apparent anxiety of the Greek authorities to magnify their recent victory over the Kemalists in Asia Minor hardly strengthens confidence in their ability to push the campaign to a successful conclusion. The Greeks have won a creditable victory, depriving their enemy of a considerable amount of artillery and other material, but their claim that this achievement, virtually ends the campaign bears tho mark of undue optimism. The line on which the Kemalists have just sustained defeat is little more than a midway point in an advance from the Greek base at Smyrna to Angora, which is the seat of Kemalist, or Turkish Nationalist, power. On their present lino tho Greeks are nearly 150 miles distant from Angora, and tho country that lies ahead of them—a rough hilly region, ill provided with roads, and almost devoid of railways—opposes serious difficulties to tho passage of an army and lends itself well to an active, mobile defence by forces familiar with the ground. Since theyi resumed the offensive, th? Greeks havo done remarkably well, but as far as can be judged they are still far from having completed their task. It is likely that tho Kemalists are still holding a good deal of strength in reserve.