NATURE—AND MAN

Grey River Argus, 12 August 1935, Page 6

NATURE—AND MAN

A CASE FOE ALL PARTIES NEW ZEALND FIRST. (Edited by Leo Fanning). Nobody needs a reminder that this is election year. Already political warhorses, old and new, arc pawing in ihc vu.leys—and soon .there will be plenty of “thunder of the capta.nsl and the shouting.’’ Here and there electors are being wooed with policies which are guaranteed by the spe ike' - '’ to produce -i’hak mucli-desirc.d ecuei land of poets’ dreams. A few years ago 1 was chatting with a Minister of the Crown about part us and ,their programmes for the Common wealth. As he knew that he was no; speaking for pubicajtion under }>.-* owh name he was very f.aak. “O f ‘ <_-ouw every party has, at the outset, a to icx of perfection." he said. “Yoa couli •nail it up in church and say your pray ers beside it. But things are always .different when the party gets going especially when it manages to win its way into power. All kinds of factors within the party itself and outside prevent the realisation of the original ideals."

Thinking now of those words I re member my “Dream of a Model Speech," included in a book, “Po'itics and the Public," which 1 perpetrated in 1919. Here ar e some remarks of the imaginary candidates: — I am of the people, for the people

by the people, with the people through thick and thin, fair and foul, and I would do the people as they should be done by me. I love this distrie* and its monuments, its fair women (also the brunettes —in fact, all the mild, medium, and full strength, beau-, ties of all colours and creeds*) and its brave mon. I am even the familiar friend of its animals; I know’ its oxen and its horses, its asses and goats. Mv faith in this district is as large and as firmly fixed as its mountain* and hills I believe its cows are more cowy than any others; I believe its butt'or buts better, than any other; T believe its birds are more birdy; hut this great love and devotion do not blind me to the wonderfu 1 features of New Zealand. My heart is in the highlands of this district, and in the lowlands, bu it is also in New Zealand from sea 1o sea. (Tremendous applause.) T often shed a tear over the love of Hine moa for Tutanpkai. and I feel proud of the that T have caught spra‘s whore Maui fished up the North Island.

T pjn in favour of the simply life I agree with the words* of Tennyson: 44 Why should we toil who are the root and crown of things?" There is too much toil. We should have more science—the kind of science that w’P acclimatise rhe bread-fruit tree. banana, the Brazil nut, and other good food: the science that will make guinea-fowls lay golden eggs. We should make old’Mother Earth do more for us. Our heritage is th? fruit

and fat of the earth, but' what do we get? A voice (by arrangement) • Give us politics. .1 II give you justice, right, humani- * tarianisni peace and p enty. You have had politics for millions of years. What have they done for you? We want something better than politics Wo want a fair deal for »vervbodv (Cheers.) • ’’ll have more singing bird* in this country, more flowers, more joy. I’ll get .he quart into the pinipot every time, if the fluid is the milk of humankindness, now known as humanitarian i>*m. (Tumultuous cheers.) HISTORY WILL REPEAT ITSELF. Well, friends the o'd political pro mise.M of parties will repeat themselves. You will hear Tweedledum denoune.ng Tweddledee (who will return the com pliment). In addition to the main parties you wi'l have minor group-, and all manner of questionnaires and manifestoes of all sorts of associations and leagues*. Accusations, allegations, innuendoes, insinuations and recriminations will abound and rebound. Tn the midst of a confusion of issues and iTie clashes of the partisan propagan djfJts. how many wooers of the people w : ll be taking a long and strong view <«f New Zealand's welfare ? Will New Zealand reallv come first in their outlook ’ ~ Yet. however, much the various parties may differ about such f hings as cxchritigi, taxa*ion ; quotas and ot*her matters of the moment, they can all agree on some basic principles of statesmanship. They can all agree on a necessary policy of conservation and regeneration of native forests —a policy which will give preference to the rights of the whole public (now and. in *he future) against disastrous’ schemes of self-seekers.

CRIMES OF THE GERMAN OWL The British Field Sports Society is alarmed by the predatory habits of the imported .little owl (which is also known as* the German owl and tho| Dutch owl). This pest was brought into England in 1888 by Lord Lilford who had not thought of the widespread nuisance which the alien birds would become. Tnvesl igations chow tbat from one pair of these ow’s the pro geny may be nearly 1500 bv the end of the sixth year. It is* mentioned that •tTiis* destructive bird has no natural enemies and seems to be stubborn!** healthy. It is now found in nearly everv district in Southern England and the Midlands, and is spreading north and west to Scotland and Wales. Mnorland and mountainous distric t do not seem to attract the little owl. Similar rapid increase of the German ow 1 (introduced bv the Otago Acclimatisation Society) has been observed in Now Zealand. As? this bird is vorv nc' c, ivp before dusk it has brought death to manv native birds, such a-' warblers fantails, tom-tits and others A war of extermination should h p declared against this murderou® maruader.