HORSES FOR THE WAR.

HOW.MANY CAN,'MEW ZEALAND 1 PROVIDE?

Many and various opinions are being expressed as. to the possibility of the Government securing sufficient horses for the "war. ' It is staled freely that through the coming of the motor, good horses are .exceedingly scarce,, and the Government will have difficulty in securing the desired- number. l We must remember, however, that a very large, area of the Dominion is not suitable : for car traffic, and beyond that; there is-not a big percentage of the people who can afford ears, If wc take as a guide the statistics we find ;tliat there has been aibigincroase' in the number of horses bred in the

i J Dominion in■ rcccut years, 1 Tlic census in .1001 returned 2(j(i,215 horses, in 1906 ;>26 ) 5u7 horses, while in ; 1911: there ivcrc 40-1,281 which included 61,383 fillies and coUs; under two years i old. This M'.ould'seem to indicate that there arc plenty;of horses in the Dominion to satisfy the war, demand. . One effects of thermb'tof ears lias l>een that many .owiiers'and breeder's have horses uiibrolceh froiiK tliree to seven, years old, which )mder ordinary circumstances would'; have''- been broken in previously, but the owners,' having a'ear, % and the market not- having' been -good, . they have-been; •'allowed' tp/run Jmi- . broken. The writerj' has spoken to" ': Beyeral wlio liprses,-but-it is mot < s wJietiier lies arfe: prepared'' /#'■ take "unbroken horses." • ".':'..'"■'*/.■'. 'Many of the troops cannot get away for:a I'ew.'wceks, and-if these horses were ..brought loathe Aldington* grounds tlieyicbvi.ld lie:'tlioroughly!,:l)rokcii ainj quietened, i feel ,"sure;tluit niaiiy.Jior'sc-. owhersV'would gladly give siich :: 'hoMes' ifitheauthbrities'statedHh'ojvwcre-pi'e-'' '.pareikto'aceeptjiheiiu.'.;■, ■ ..' :.. ; ;.,: , ; ;Tlien ; tliere are a la/rge;iiumber' of men 1 'pfl!ejiug!^or : .already ha Ye; : lhiip: will .vjievyiifg^^itipnj;l4epi;V)uite : : sUr^ th)|k:tb£|sJC^ ■p^iiie^lt^bplipu^nd :) % tlie^ppjnjii-; 'i6ii,;WjlCriiot: ; l)6^avlVaK tionlp£tlie"sgsbj« ■ably.; be ji'] o?| : t ligc reti.o li -of ;ft Ii 9 aid 1 . 'ar.6 iM&iypiiiag j^pro^-rr^ir/'.ag^sfi^r* ajswhim!s:nor^