THE KENNEL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3467, 24 August 1920, Page 21

THE KENNEL.

Br Terror. Fanol«ra and breeders ol dogs ar© oordlaHy invited to contribute to this column. "Terror" will endeavour to make this department as interesting and up-to-date aa possible, but in order to do this he must have the 00-operation of hia readers, hence* he trusts this invitation will be cheerfully, responded to.

Tne balance rheefc of the Otago Kennel Club, to be placed before the annual general meeting on the 25th inst., shows that members subscriptions amounted to £SB 19s 6d, donations, special prizes, gate money, sales, etc, £lO4 10s 6d. and entrance fees and registrations £56 14s 2d. The expenditure was as follows: —Prize money £SB 19s, advertising £ll 14s 6d, stationery and minting £l2 15s, New Zealand Kehnol Club £2 2s, rent of hall £2O, wages £5 10s, cartage £2 0s Id, N.Z.K.O. registrations £2 12s, plant '£72 13s Sd, travelling expenses, feed, disinfectants, hire, etc., £8 lis sd, sale of clogs £4 10s, sundries £o 5s 7d; total, £216 14s; leaving a debit balance of £l6 9s lOd. Assets, £72 13s 6d; overdraft, £l6 9s lOd. -For a first balance sheet it is certainly a satisfactory one, considering that, were it not for the purchase of plants, the balance would have been substantial on the credit side.

I overheard a gentleman remark the other day. that all dogs should be exterminated, as they were accountable for a terrible amount of disease amongst ' human beings. This made mo wonder whether human beings ought not also to be exterminated for the still greater amount of disease they generated and spread amongst one another? F. Freeman Lloyd evidently has a kinder feeling for our canine friends, for in an article in Field and Stream he writes, inter alia: "Old men have talked to us about dogs, have told us stories of their youth, and middle age, in which dogs played a star part, both, humorous and pathetic. Time Is a great healer of grief, and there are humans who do not judge proportionately ; but some of the humans do, and they have our respect, "for they looked away with swimming eyes over the memory of a dog, and back, away back, in the hope ■cells of their brains, is a wonder, a hope : Is there a place we go to? Is there a hereafter, and will dear old Jack be there to meet me with his joyous bark and swiftlywagging tail? Words have been written about dogs that will last as long' as the world revolves; but they are inadequate and Vtoo far between, in the many wasted .pages of- printed thoughts; for the people who dare open their hearts, where their dog friends are concerned, are rare. Is it that man can find no touch of bigness, or is he ashamed to acknowledge his affection for his dumb four-footed friend ? Find me the man who owns up to honest tears of grief when his four-footed companions' and friends' tails are still in death, and you have a man to respect, a kindly man, .-the sort that makes the world better, for he understands the value of one of our great giftsi—the dog: Therefore he is wise, and filled with a bigness that helps to make life smoother for others.'-' I quote one more short paragraph, the last in the article ;—viz.: " Thrones have toppled. Prairie schooners no longer hunt the setting sun; electricity h as cemented together far countries, but the dog is still abreast of the man. He barks him a delighted welcome on his home-coming, and when the man goes 'back to an image of clay and is quiet for ever the dog : lies on his grave and dies of a broken heart.''

—ln the May issua of tho "Kennel Gazette" of England a notice appears stating- that if the judge appointed to adjudicate on dogs at any show, held under the rules of the English Kennel Club, is not able to officiate, the challenge certificates cannot be allotted by the judge who takes his place, and the competition for these popular honours must lapse imless fresh application is made to the ruling body. This new regulation has aroused a storm of protests from exhibitors, and they certainly have good reasons for their objections. Where there is sufficient time for the secretary to get in touch with the ruling body, the regulation might work all right. But where distance or other conditions rendered it impossible to inform the Kennel Club it would be a hardship to the exhibitor as well as a slur on the ability of the judge finally selected, if the challenge certificates were not allowed to be awarded. The prize money is not by any means the only incentive to exhibitors, and many of them only show their dogs with the object of gaining sufficient challenge" certificates to entitle them to the honour of claiming the title of champion for their exhibits. Two well-known Irish Setter fanciers, in A. R. V. Morten, -of Mount Pleasant, and A.. Dawson, of Christchurch, have entered into a partnership in their dogs, which will in future be exhibited in their joint names. Mr Morten is the popular president of the Canterbury Kennel Club, and a first-class worker in all its canine activities. He _ has been_ a successful breeder and exhibitor of Irish Setters > for man;/ year. Mr Dawson js an energetic member of the committee' s 'of the C.ILC. and also a great enthusiast in shooting and field matters generally. He, too, has been a fancier of the "Reds!' for some years. The new "firm" will be showing a nice team at the "Wellington Kennel Club fixture this week.

A reason given for a small entry of only (!) 1434 dogs at the last Manchester Show was the rather meagre supply of schedules. Only some 1300 were issued, and as a result a number of breeders were unable to obtain a copy. Another reason is supposed to have been the too early date fixed for closing entries —viz., 16 days before tho show. It Is suggested*' that_ a full week before the show should give ample time to allow .of the necessary secretarial work to be done.