CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 148, 23 June 1923, Page 13

CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.

(To the Editor.) Sir,—The questions of what constitutes cruelty to wives, children and animals, and' what is the proper punishment for those guilty of cruelty, are not so simple as your several correspondents on the subject seem to imagine. Do they base their objections to corporal chastisement on religious grounds? Then, they must have forgotten the Scripture, that declares: "A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool's back." There you sUfely have authority for lashing a horse, as well as for beating foolish men, women and children. Of course, horses may be overloaded, over-driven or unduly chastised for their laziness, obstinacy or contrariness, but is it right that a common informer should be the judge of when chastisement or urging becomes cruelty? As for working horses that suffer from sores or other infirmities, so as to cause them pain and suffering, no humane person of ordinary intelligence would do this, and offenders should be severely dealt with. It seema to mc, however, that horges on the racecourse and on the hunting field are often more cruelly spurred, beaten and driven than any animals that are used in industrial operations; yet how often do we hear of a prosecution in the first-named cases? Is there one law for the working horse and another for the horse that is whipped and driven for pleasure? Horses that have rowels driven into their bleeding sides and that are forced to keep running at a furious pace until sometimes they drop dead from exhaustion, are surely cruelly treated; but it seems to be agreed that animals may bo "butchered to make a (British) holiday," but must be treated with exceptional gentleness when driven for useful purposes by, perhaps, poor, ignorant Hindus, Chinese or Britishers, who ought to know better, but don't! Let us have equal application of the law; and lot responsible policemen, and not weak sentimentalists, lay informations for alleged breaches.. I believe there are many horses that deserve a beating, also many men, women and children who I would be improved by judicious chastise- ; ment; but, on the whole, I would advocate prevention of all necessity for corporal punishment of human or lower animals.—l am, etc., J. LIDDELL KELLY. I—■-■ -