HUMANE KILLING

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 15, 12 October 1927, Page 12

HUMANE KILLING

Sir,—l was present at the last meeting of the S.P.C-A. when the above matter was discussed and have no knowledge of any resolution or agreement by members of the association that the present method of stunning cattle with the hammer was humane, and 1 take tlie strongest exception to the. report furnished to your paper, as this does not represent the opinions of thoughtful members of the committee. No one with a love of animals could support such a conclusion upon the evidence before them. I quote from a report of a gentleman of standing who visited certain works in the Wellington province where the hammer method was employed; also a letter from the manager of the South Otago Freezing Co., where the shooting method is adopted, and leave your readers to judge for themselves. There is further evidence of cases where a series of blows with the hammer were administered before the beast fell, thus involving a great deal of cruelty. As a member of the S.P.C.A., I wish to state that no resolution was passed expressing the opinion embodied in the report given to you, from which I wish to dissociate myself. In a report on humane slaughtering in the “Edinburgh Review,” Apfil 26, Mr. Terry, slaughterman, Croydon, says: “I have seen a professional slaughterman hit a bullock as many as 12 or 13 times before it was properly stunned. I have seen bullocks hit several times go absolutely mad, foaming at the mouth and bellowing with pain.” A well-known Wellington citizen reported in April last witnessing the killing at one of the Abattoirs in the Wellington province; “Two cattle are driven into a crush (a small pen in which they cannot turn) and a man mounts the stage on top and fells >tbem with a big, long-handled hammer. I saw two being killed the other day, and it took five blows of the hammer for one and two for the other before they fell.” While recognising all that is said in regard to the difficulty of humane slaughtering, I cannot agree that the method I saw and reported is anywhere near approaching the standard of humanity towards dumb animals that should obtain in this country. Whether the beast is free from pain after the first blow with the hammer I am not qualified to say, but the fact remains that the beast rushed about madly un- . til finally felled. It seems to me reasonable that if a beast were free from pain on being struck it would fall instead of making violent efforts to get away.” In striking contrast is the following report from the South Otago Freezing Co.: "Re rifle used to shoot cattle. The rifle is an ordinary single shot .32 and we use the long cartridge. The method is certainly preferable to the pithing. The slaughterman who has been with us for many years has never had occasion to use a second shot. The great advantage is that the muzzle can. be held right up to, just within touching, the vital spot. We also use it on pigs between the eyes.” In view of the above evidence alone no one professing the principles of the S.P.C.A.. or with a love for dumb animals, could come to the resolutions published in your paper of Saturday last, and I trust others who aro really interested in prevention of cruelty to animals will take this matter up.—l am, etc., B. GEORGE.

Wellington, October 11. [The above letter was referred to Mr. A. M. Anderson, secretary of the S.P.C.A., who replied as under: Miss B. George having taken exception to the report appearing in your issue of October 10 of the last committee Reefing of the society and impugned its accuracy, I must state most emnhatically that the report is absolutely correct in substance. The matter was discussed at some length by the members of tho committee present at the meeting in question, and the conclusion arrived at was that it would be futile to attempt any alteration of the present method of slaughtering until a better method could bo devised and one which would meet with general approval on the grounds alike of practicability and humanity. It is true that no resolution was passed at the meeting, but the sense of the meeting is faithfully, correctly and accurately shown in the published report. Miss George says that the conclusion arrived at does not represent the opinions of thoughtful members of the committee. I. believe nothing will be hazarded by saving thAt there is no subject of special interest to the societv on which the committee has bestowed more care, thought and attention than that of humane killing. The society recognise and has always fully recognised its importance and has collected information from many quarters with a view to ascertaining .what improvement in existing methods is desirable and practicable.]