LIVE BIRDS FOR CLUB SHOOTS

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27444, 2 September 1954, Page 10

LIVE BIRDS FOR CLUB SHOOTS

Prohibition On Use Likely

REPORT ON PETITION TO PARLIAMENT (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, September 1. The shooting of live birds by gun clubs will be prohibited if the Government accepts a recommendation made by a Public Petitions Committee of the House of Representatives. The committee reported today on a petition signed by 22,200 persons, seeking the prohibition of live bird shooting and live hare coursing. The committee separated its recommendations, and recommended the petition on birds to the Government for most favourable consideration, and the section on coursing for favourable consideration.

No member of the committee would take second place to anyone in his or her attitude to cruelty to animals, said the chairman of the committee, Mr T. L. Hayman (Government, Oamaru). Ever since the establishment of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Britain in 1824, there had been growing agitation for the prohibition of blood sports. Among New Zealand gun clubs themselves, there was a movement to stop the shooting of captive live birds. There were 89 clubs in the country, said Mr Hayman, but only eight shot live birds. There was a very good alternative in trap shooting. The Department of Internal Affairs considered there was no case for a continuation of live bird shooting. On coursing, the committee felt it would be very unwise to sort out the practice without considering like sports, Mr Hayman said. He quoted from the report of a committee which met in Britain to Consider cruelty to wild animals, and mentioned that there was a state of cruelty in nature, where animals were subject to all sorts of depredations by other animals. “We are dealing with animals used for sport, and there is cruelty in the Plumpton method of coursing,” said Miss M. B. Howard (Opposition, Sydenham). “The department stated that.” There were only four coursing clubs with a total membership of 200, said Miss Howard, and it would not cause any hardship if the sport was prohibited. Simply because Britain did not consider the sport cruel there was no reason why it should be continued in New Zealand. "Tame Pigeons Used” A member of the Petitions Committee, Mr P. Tait (Government, Napier), said that tame pigeons were used for shoots, and it was shocking that that was allowed to continue. It had been shown that in some cases the pigeons were so tame that they just walked out of the traps and had to be persuaded to fly so that they could be shot.

It had been claimed that only 10 hares were killed in a year by any coursing club. Mr Tait said. A claim was made that there was no cruelty, as on an average, a hare was killed in 30 seconds. The Minister of Education (Mr R. M. Algie): That’s a long time for the hare. New Zealand was a action of sportsmen, but he was satisfied that 90 per cent, of the people would not derive any satisfaction out of blood sports, said Mr R. M. Macfarlane (Opposition, Christchurch Central)- Some years ago he Bad been to a coursing meeting and seen a hare killed. A member of the club had said: “There goes old—at last. He’s been released nine or 10 times before.” That had not appealed to him, said Mr Macfarlane. He thought there was overwhelming evidence that the socalled sport was cruel, and New Zealanders, who~had shown overseas how kindly they looked on domestic animals, would want it prohibited. Replying, Mr Hayman said that not all branches of the S.P.C.A. were opposed to Miss-Howard: The federation is. The committee was kind-hearted, Mr Hayman said, but on coursing it could not disregard the evidence presented by the clubs. “Most favourable consideration” is the strongest recommendation a Petitions Committee can make to the Government If the committee’s view is accepted, the Minister of Internal Affairs (Sir William Bodkin) win probably sponsor a bill .prohibiting captive bird shooting. •