PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 10760, 13 September 1900, Page 3

PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.

The seventeenth annual meeting of the members of this Society was held last- night. There was a large gathering. His Worship the Mayor, Mr W. Recce, presided, and on his. right was Sir John Hall.

j The secretary, Mr M. Murphy, read the report and balance-sheet. The former I stated, amongst other things, that Mr Miles had proved a very efficient inspector, his intimate knowledge of stock and their j proper treatment enabling him to carry out his duties with the discretion necessary in i his office. The number of members was ; 233, a_ against 219 last year. To ameli- ; orate the condition of the 'bus horses, the ; Society offered prizes of £5 5s and £3 55," first and second respectively, for the best ! kept team of horses during the year. Mr jW. Beecroft was awarded first and Mr : Chas. .Carter second prize. Mr Carter re- . turned £2 2s. as a subscription, the balance : being given to his driver. The following had been awarded prizes during the year by , "Captain Kindheart": — Copnie Denton, j Alice Moss, Myra Dobson, Ernest Day, Raymond Martin, Ellen Bisder, John Robertson, Molly Cowper, Kitty Heseltin, Monica McDonnel, Fred; Richards, Mabel Suisted, .Willie McGorman. The children who gained prizes for letters to the children's column of the "Canterbury Times" during tbe year were Willie Clement, Willie Bailey, Maggie Eden, Ellen Fissender, Agnes Goalam, Alice Hornbrook, Ethel Hornbrook, Olive Hylaud, Kate Harris, Jas. Harris, Catherine Jones, Mary Naughton, Nellie McKenzie, Olive Nicholas, Maude Pierce, Amuri Rutherford, Dorothy Turner, Henry Debenham, Maggie Delaney, and Nora Findlay. The thanks of the Society were due to "Captain Kindheart" ("Weekly Press") and "Aunt Hilda" ("Canterbury Times"), who so ably conducted the children's columns in those papers. The balance-sheet showed receipts £102 Is 7d. The payments amounted to £96 6s sd. The financial position of the Society had improved greatly during the year. Mr Recce moved ihe adoption of the report, and urged the members to try and double their .numbers, and also to try and enlist the sympathies of the clergy and. get them, if possible, to preach a sermon on behalf of the animals each year. Sir John Hall seconded the motion. The growth of the Society bad been steady, and thanks.to the quiet working of the" committee and the constant watchfulness of the inspector,, really excellent work had been done. With such a full treasury he thought i the Government might- very well grant an l annual subsidy of £100 to such a deserving Society. He instanced the interest taken by Lord Roberts in animals used in the South African war, where that great general had issued an order preventing the Kaffir drivers thrashing the draught oxen with their great whips. The report and balance sheet were adopted. The following officers were elected for the year: —President, Sir uohn Hall; vice-presi-dents. The Right Reverends Bishop Julius and Bishop Grimes, their Worships the Mayors of Christchurcii, Sydenham, St. Albans, Woolston and Linwood, Hon. E. C. J. Stevens, and Mr G. G. Stead. Ladies' Committee, {Mrs Julius (president), Mesdames Townsend, Birch, Brown and Bean, Misses Fercar and Robinson.; committee, Professor Haslam, Messrs C. Louisson, Gl T. Booth, E. C. Brown, J. C. Prudhoe, W. Prudhoe, J. H. Parker, McLaren, Thornton, Evans, C. Bean; hon. secretary. Mr M. Murphy,' F.L.S.; hon. treasurer, Mr C. Bean; inspector, Mr W. Miles; hon. auditor, Mr W. H. Cheesman. During the evening songs were sung by Mrs Graham and Bridgeman, Miss Ward and Mr Parker, a pianoforte solo given by Mrs Graham, and a violin solo by Mr Sandstein.

Votes of thanks were given to the chairman, to the ladies and gentlemen who had entertained the members that evening, and to the officers.