WITHOUT PREJUDICE

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 255, 12 July 1926, Page 6

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

NOTES AT RANDOM

(By

T.D.H.)

Mr. Pussyfoot Johnson wants the American prohibition forces to “shoot to kill.”—Temperance advocates may soon have more convincing evidence of the fatal effects of imbibing alcoholic beverages. Is modern busmess drifting into a soulless state as the pessimists declarer ■ —That depends on whether or not you regard competition as the soul of business. The recent huge Austrian forgery swindle appears from the news to-day to have created an idea that German printing houses are open to execute orders for forged bank-notes in the ordinary course of business, and requests for supplies are stated to have come from all over the world. In reality it is only influential people with patriotic motives whose orders are taken for this class of work on the Continent of Europe. Persons without special influence hdve to make private arrangements and put in their own plant, and the more private the better. Sometimes plain brown forgers do pull off huge coups. In his recent memoirs Mr. Charles Arrow, late chief inspector of the Criminal Investigation Department of Scotland Yard, tells of one prince of swindlers, whom he call! “Mr. Smith.” This gentleman was equally at home as forger, cardsharper, thief, and general swindler, in all the chief and among the best people of Europe, Asia, and America. Hi» most successful coup was in flooding Europe and America with forged circular notes. According to Mr. Arrow, “Smith” and his five confederates in this undertaking are believed to have netted among them £250,000 sterling.At San Francisco “Mr. Smith” on one occasion was publicly feted by the authorities—and he left with £20,000 of his entertainers’ good money. The last time he got out of gaol he was reduced to duping a few women, and retired after three weeks of liberty for another ten years. Of his sixty years, twenty had been spent in gaol. During half of his free adult life he lived in great affluence on other people’s money. One of the most beautiful valleys in the neighbourhood of Wellington fa that through which the Tauherenikau River flows in its upper course among the ranges. This long bush-clad vallev is difficult of access, precipitous gorge barring the way in from the Wairarapa, and is visited only by a few sportsmen, trampers, and opossum hunters. But if humankind leave the Tauherenikau Valley alone, there is a lot of destructive activity going steadilv on in this secluded mountain fastness. An excellent track has been made in to the Tauherenikau, from the Kaitoki side by the TararuaTramping Club, and a party going over it during the week-end found all the way along it the leaves of every “five-finger” tree strewn thickly on the ground. This was the work of opossums which bring down the foliage of these trees to devour the young shoots. In the valley an experienced bushman was met who had been going carefully over the country, in view of the approaching opening of the opossum season. Opinions differ aa to whether the opossums actually kill much vegetation, but this veteran bushman has no doubt about the deer. He stated that the forest throughout the whole valley is being destroyed by the deer. To one who knew the country as it used to be years ago—it is still a nominally untouched forest reserve—the change was most marked. Apart from destroyed vegetation was the fact that in the old da vs the bush there was alive with birds, now it is silent, and next tn nothing remains but the pigeons.. Stoats are numerous—as are rabbits—and apparently the stoats have been making an end of the birds. What is happening m the Tanherenikau is only typical of what is going on in the great forest reserve running right along the Rimutaka and Tararua Ranges, and, in fact, in greater or less degree throughout the forests of the whole Dominion. It is a gradual process, and it is only the old-timers with a close knowledge of the forests as they used to be who realise the tremendous amount of destruction that has already taken place. All of these from practical bushmen to scientific botanists, are most emphatic on the point. If it goes on unchecked the country no doubt will suddenly awaken to the fact one bright morning not so many years ahead, that its national forests have faded out to nothing worth calling a forest. It is a litle curious that while imported deer and vermin are playing havoc in the State forests, a small number of mostlv Auckland sportsmen are bent on making another game preserve of the Tongariro National Park, with Scottish heather, pheasant, etc. A verv sorrv farce is being enacted by the 'National Park Board which passes pious resolutions against the partridges and weather and' declares that the Tongariro Park must be maintained in its natural state. This, of course, was the intention when the park was created, and nobody ever has heard of any other reason for the creation of national parks of this kind. The board, however, says it can do nothing to eradicate the heather, because it has no funds. * * * The question remains as to who planted the heather and who wants the game birds. The answer is that among the principal promoters of the game preserve idea has been Mr Cullen, Warden of the Tongariro National Park, a resident on the spot and an active liberator of game birds in its vicinity and advocate of heather to provide cover for them. Mr. Cullen is, of course, entitled to his own views of what the park should be. But what on earth the Park Board is doing with a warden so heartily and entirely out of sympathy with its policy Heaven alone knows. Crown Prince Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden, a most energetic and democratic roval person, hasi been a recent visitor to the United States, and the following is typical of tle im P res?lon be has made:— Gustavus Adolphus, after his coronation as King of Sweden, decided to keep in condition by boxing. - . . Two flappers occupied ringside seats and watched His Majesty in bfs first public bout. He acquitted himself admirably. , , „ , „ “That is a great left the King has, said one girl. “Yes,” admitted the other, “but he has a divine right!” MUTE. Words - • . T can’t say them; Words of praise, Words of love Are not for my tongs*. Others Make words Spin, tumble, dance , > » My lips hesitate, They trip and stumble. I Can only gaze And dream And drink of your beauty,