USAGE OF ANIMALS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1207, 16 August 1911, Page 6

USAGE OF ANIMALS.

v SIR JOHN FINDLAY'S PROMISE. A meeting of the Society for the Pre» ■ vention of Cruelty to Animals was held in the secretary's ollice, last evening. Mr. J. M. Hichardsou presided. Tho following donations are acknowledged :—Messrs. A. ' de 13. Brandon and J. G. W. Aitkeu, £1 Is. each; J. O'Brien niid Co. and Mr. : Meadowcroft, 10s. Gd. each; 0. W. Virtue and Co., 55.; total, £3 Ss. The inspector (in tho course of his report) stated that ' two horses had, been destroyed as being too old and decrepit for further use, and three other cases of alleged cruelty to horses were being investigated. The inspector remarked that tho num. ber of convictions for cruelty to animals was increasing, but the fact of convictions and fines'being obtained against the offenders did not seem to act as a deterrent; If it did so, one would expect tho number of convictions to decrease., but the reverse had been tho case. He had often experienced great difficulty in securing convictions, nud it was his opinion that, if magistrates were a httJo more severe, greater benefit in relation to tho aims of tho society would result. The chairman remarked that, at the last conference,' it had been decided to bring down a Bill to check the number of cases of cruelty to animals, and the drafting had been left in the hands of Sir John Findlay and Mr. G. laurenson, M.P. That, however, was the last that tho society had heard of it. •Yfter some discussion it was resolved that the secretary be instructed to write • to Mr. Laurenson and asK him tho position regarding tho matter.