LAND AND WATER.

Otago Witness, Issue 3099, 6 August 1913, Page 58

LAND AND WATER.

HOCKEY. MASTERTON, July 31. The Wairarapa team, which has hold the Nordon Cup for two seasons, were defeated by the Wanganui representatives to-day by goals to 1, after a very one-sided match. Wanganui outclassed their opponents in every department of the game. ROWING. LONDON, July 30. Barry has received the stakes which he won recently in his race with Pearce. Pearce said it was “ up to ” Barry to visit, Australia. He was sure he would have a great reception there. AIINST CHALLENGES PADDON. SYDNEY, August 4. Dick Arnst has challenged Paddon to row on November 15 for the Championship of Australia and £2OO a-side. SWIMMING. NEW RECORD FOR ONE MILE. LONDON, August 3. Billington (England) beat Dickman

(Australia) over a mile for the professional swimming championship of the world. They kept together for 200yds, then Billington drew away, and won easily. Time, 24min 11 l-ssec—a world’s professional record.

LAWN TENNIS. THE DAVIS CUP. WON BY AMERICA. LONDON, July 28. America won the Davis Cup. Beautiful weather was experienced for the concluding day’s play. Dixon served with great judgment, and handled M'Loughlin’s service well. In the first set both volleyed magnificently. It was a fine even game to 6 all. M'Loughlin won the seventh after deuce. Dixon gave him the set with a double fault at the finish. M'Loughlhrs service in the second and third sets was practically unplayable. Although Dixon played gamely he was weakened by hhT exertions in the first set, and the American held the whip hand. The round between Parke and Williams became an exhibition game, as America had won the Cun Parke won, 6 —2, 5 5—7, 6-4, 6—2. SYDNEY, July 29. It is expected that the Australasian Tennis Association will receive about £llOO (share of the profits of the Davis Cup and other matches in America). At the annual meeting of the association it was decided to "adhere to the resolution to retain for the purposes of the association the profits of the British Isles match. It was decided that the balance of the profits of the British team's tour should be divided equally between the Australian States and New Zealand (approximately £55 each). NORTHUMBERLAND CHAMPIONSHIP. LONDON, August 3. J. C. Parke (Ireland) beat S. N. Doust (New South Wales) in the final of the Northumberland Tennis Championship, 6 3—6, 7 —5. TROUT AT ROTORUA. STATE OR LOCAL CONTROL? (From Odr Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, duly 31. The report of the A to L Petitions Committee on the petition of 589 residents of the Rotorua and Taupo districts praying that the control of acclimatisation matters in those districts be taken from the Tourist Department and placed under a local acclimatisation society was brought up in the House to-day by the chairman of the committee (Mr Bradney). The committee reported that in view of the impending visit of the ‘Canadian Fisheries Commissioner the petition be referred to the Government for consideration. Mr Wilson said that these lakes had been stocked by the Auckland, Taurange, and Hawke’s Bay Acclimatisation Societies at a sacrifice of much time and money. Since the Government took control of the lakes the fish had deteriorated in quality considerably, and the best thing the Government could do would be to hand the control of the lakes to a local society. He did not blame the officer in charge, but he thought the change asked for should be made. Mr MacDonald said he agreed to some extent with Mr Wilson. It was true that the fish had deteriorated, but it must be remembered that their natural food supply was not what it was when they were put in the lakes. As to a waste of fish, he pointed out that the smoking of fish at Rotorua had been proceeding for some time. It was certainly necessary that some steps should be taken to improve the condition of the fish. He was not, however, quite sure that the establishment of a local acclimatisation society would improve matters. The Government had spent a large sum on the fisheries, which were now one of the dominion’s greatest assets. Mr Wilford said that the dominion had lost thousands and thousands a year owing to the deterioration of the fishing owing to the people no longer coming to this country to fish. In past times he had known men to come year after year from Ireland and the Isle ‘of Wight and other distant places for what was the finest fishing in the world. Neither an acclimatisation society nor the Government, however, was going to save the trout fisheries in New Zealand. The fisheries would go the way that the rainbow trout went in every part of the world. He believed that the Government should hold the fisheries for whatever they were, going to be as against the Acclimatisation Society. Placing the control of the fisheries in the hands of the acclimatisation societies would only build up a close corporation. Mr Wilford said he had made one of a party of 12 which fished Taupo last year. They caught 12cwt of fish—not a big catch The condition of the fish was dreadful, not one fish in eight being good. The Hon. J. A. Millar said Ire would like to know what the Tourist Department was doing to improve the fishing. The department was netting the spawning beds in the rivers, and the best fish were being taken out and buried. What the department should do was to net the lake and leave the spawning beds alone. The Taupo fisheries would be absolutely spoiled if the Tourist Department continued its present policy. The Minister of Marine (the Hon. Mr Fisher) said that when the Government came into office it found the control ’ of the fisheries under three Ministers, and one of the objects of bringing the Canadian expert was to see under which head the control should be placed. He believed

it should be under the Marine Department. Why had the previous Ministry not done that? Mr Millar: Will you do it? Mr Fisher: lam going to try. This divided control is responsible {or a good deal of the damage that has been done. In regard to the petition, he said that when it was before the committee those who appeared in support of it were stuffed with information which was quite inaccurate. He hoped the House would rest quietly till the report of the expert was available. Very shortly, also, he would lay on the' table the report of Mr Ayson on the fisheries of New Zealand. Mr Wilfovd : Will that cover Rotorua? Mr Fisher: Yes. It should cover all the fishing of New Zealand, and it should be laid on the table of the House. Mr G. M. Thomson said the historj’- of the fish in Otago showed that they grew at a very rapid rate, and speedily destroyed all the natural feed. Then the fish began to eat each other, and the small ones suffered. In quiet waters the fish were liable to he attacked by fungoid growths. This happened at Wakatipu. Mr Isitt, as a member of th£ committee, defended the department. The witnesses in support of the petition had alleged that Mr Ayson had made a frightful hash of things, and Mr Moorhouse was stated to have been so incompetent that they wondered however he had been appointed ; yet when he was given a chance for a quarter of an hour to reply to a whole morning’s argument he (the speaker) never saw a- man eo absolutely wipe the floor with his opponents and justify his actions. The report was ordered to lie on the table, and was referred to the Government for consideration.