CRUELTY TO BIRDS.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14909, 6 March 1914, Page 4

CRUELTY TO BIRDS.

« : AUSTRALIAN PROTESTS. ' (FROM Or_ OWS CORRESPONDENT.) SYDNEY, February 28. ' Every now and again attention is drawn, through tho medium of newspapers, to the wanton cruelty to bird., m this and other countries. .Letters appear in the papers for some days, i "Humanitarian" usually leading the way, and when the indignant outburst is over the matter is promptly forgotten, and the cruelty con.in_es. And most ot tho writers of these letters are women, and it is women who are largely responsible for the cruelty—women who love to havo pretty littlo T>irds and beautiful feathers in their hats. The subject has just been revived in Melbourne, and now the Sydney papers are taking it up also. It began with a protest against what happened to birds caged at the Eastern Market ia Melbourne. Then the scope widened to take in the trap shooting at sparrows, starlings, pigeons, and galabs. Tho secretary of the Gun Clubs' Association in Victoria advocates consistency. Ho writes to the "Argus:"'—"Be consistent. Stop field shooting, stop boxing, stop steeple-hasing. stop hunting, stop coursing; stop fishing—stop the lot. Stop the Gun Clubs' Association, with its 141 clubs and 8000 members. Step tho purchase of 10 million rounds of ammunition, value £70,000, and 2000 guns, value £oO,COO per annum, by these men. Stop tho manufacture of cartridges and guns. Stop tho man who sells them. Bo consistent, stop the whole lot. Also stop tho 'Humanitarian' who protects the pigeon from destruction, but is very happy to receive a brace or two from the hands of tho brutal shooter for dinner." For, says lie, every sport that involves killing is. to a certain extent, cruel. We needn't be so consistent as all that, however, and we can yet do something to alleviate the sufferings of these pretty creatures of tho bush. In Syd--1 ney recently a bird dealer of the west [ was fined 20s. and £5 costs, for causing ! cruelty to a hundred parrots which had been sent to a dealer in Sydney. When 1 the birds arrived in iSvdney in a cage seventy of them wero living, but thirty had died on the way, no food or water having been provided in t*_ eaee. Who : will say that that man did not deserve I his punishment?