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AUSTRALIAN ARMY REMOUNT PROBLEM. The question of army remounts is being taken hold of in Australia witli characteristic vigor and courage, and the latest newspapers from the island continent tell of important proceedings at a conference on the subject held at Melbourne, under the Chairmanship of the Quartermaster-General, Brigadier-Gen. Stanley. It was participated in by the head of the Indian remount department, the Director of Remounts, the Chairman of the Australian Jockey Club, the Victoria Itacing Club, the Victoria Amateur Turf Club, the National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland, the Royal Agricultural Societies of Victoria, New South Wales, South Australian, Western Australia, the Pastoral Society of Tasmania, and many other institutions devoted to the encouragement of agriculture and stock-breeding. Their decisions, made public by the Minister for Defense, Senator Pearce, are of supreme interest in Canada and United States, where the same issue receives practically no systematic attention. Particularly noteworthy is the clean-cut declaration of the conference on the importance of racing of a high class, which is pronounced one of the essentials of success in the working out of a remount scheme. The decisions were as follows: "That tliis conference recognizes the urgent necessity of taking immediate steps towards placing the horse-breeding industry on a more satisfactory footing, with a view to improving the type of horses raised m Australia. "That the first step to be taken is to provide for the eliirinatiou of unfit stallions, i. e., stallions affected with hereditary unsoundness or defective in type or conformation. "That tliis result can be achieved only by legislation, and that if such legislation be not within the powers of the commonwealth parliament, steps should be taken to procure the enactment of uniform measures by the parliaments of the states. "That suitable stallions should be provided to stand at a reasonable fee in districts fitted for the production of horses of the class desired. "That a system of registration of mares suitable for breeding the type of horses required should be instituted. "That a committee of competent persons should be formed in cacli state for the purpose of a Determining in what districts the scheme should be brought into operation; b determining the methods by which such stallions should be provided; c devising a scheme for the registration of suitable mares and their progeny; d educating horse-breeders as to the type of horse required and the best methods of raising them. "That such committee should work under the supervision of a director, to be appointed by the Minister, and that the person to be so appointed should have an intimate knowledge of the capacity of Australia for horse-breeding purposes, and of the nature and extent of the requirements of the Defence Department, of the Remount Department in India, and of the War Office. "That the certification of stallions and mares and all veterinary work necessary should be carried out by experienced officers working under the direction of the committees in the several states. "That each State Committee should have power to appoint local committees in its state, and define the powers and duties of such local committees. "Th:.t, in the opinion of this conference, the introduction of the totalizator throughout Australia would provide all revenue necessary for carrying out a scheme on the lines submitted if two and one-half per cent of the money passing through were appropriated for that purpose. "That in any scheme for the improvement of horse breeding, the use of the thoroughbred stallion, which lias proved his worth on the race course, is essential, and that as a supply of suitable stallions can be obtained only by the continuance of high-class horse racing, a sufficient proportion of the totalizator revenue should bo retained by the racing clubs to ensure the provision of valuable stakes to be run for. "That agricultural societies should be encouraged to provide competitions for stallions, mares, colts and fillies, suitable for military or general utility purposes including novice classes, and that judges for those competitions should be persons acquainted with military requirements; soundness to be re-ganled as of primary importance. "That tiie state authorities and agricultural societies should be invited to assist in educating breeders as to the type of horse required, and the best method of producing it. "That the standard price of Jiorses purchased for military purposes should be adequate, having regard to the price of other live stock, and to the expense and loss necessarily incurred in attempting to breed to type. "That, with a view to the elimination of worthless and inferior horses, the exportation of horseflesh as an article of food should be encouraged. "That in the opinion of tliis conference it is not desirable that the Government should embark upon horse-breeding operations as a commercial enterprise or on a large scale, but Government farms for experimental work would be desirable. "That inferior mares not suitable for breeding horses may be profitably utilized for breeding mules, and that the breeding of mules should be encouraged."
