PREVENTION OF CRUELTY

Evening Post, Volume XCI, Issue 128, 31 May 1916, Page 2

PREVENTION OF CRUELTY

The usual meeting of the committee of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was held last evening. Mr. F. Meadowcroft occupied the chair, and there were also present Mesdames Seville and Wakelin and Messrs. Seed and Kilgour. Captain Henry (the. society's inspector) reported having investigated thirteen cases of cruelty since the last meeting. One case of alleged cruelty was heard in the Magistrate's Court this week, but the Magistrate (Mr. Reid, S.M.) dismissed the information.

It was reported to the society a short time ago that rabbits v/hicS were caught in traps on the Happy Valley Estate were left in pain for days at a time before the rabbitter visited his traps and billed, them. At last night's meeting a reply was received from Lieutenant L. li. King, manager of the estate. Lieutenant King stated that he had- been in camp at Rangiotu for some time, and was proceeding to . Trentham on Tuesday. He was very busy making the necessary arrangements to. go into camp, and the matter had escaped his notice. However, he would instruct the rabbitter to attend to it immediately, and agreed with the society that, although rabbits were vermin, there ■ v^as no necessity at all to inflict needless suffering on .them. The letter was received with satisfaction by the members of the committee.

The Taranaki Society wrote asking for the local bodies' co-operation in the matter of having the coursing of hares in enclosed spaces declared an offence under the Police Offences Act. It was dcided'to acknowledge the communica: tion and have the inspector ascertain whether any such coursing was carried on within the Wellington Society's boundaries. ' . ■

A request from the Wanganui S.P.C.A. for copies of the annual report of the local society was acceded to.

The following subscriptions were received and acknowledged since the previous meeting : Bristol Piano Co. and N.Z. Express Co., 10s 6d each; Mr. C. D. Macintosh, 10s; Messrs. Brodrick and Co., Reid and Reid, Van Staveren Bros., C. A. Ewen, Wright, Dixon, and Witt, W. S. Latrobe, J. B. Finlay, Townsend and Paul, Thompson Bros., W. Tonks, T. A. Roberts, C. Haines, Dr. A. Martin, Mrs. Balcombe Brown, Hayward's Pictures, Ltd., and Fuller's Pictures, Ltd., 5s each;. Rev. W. Fancourt, Miss Chalmers, Mrs. J. M'Guire, Miss Richardson, Messrs. Ste\vart, I. Clark, W. A. Browning, H. D. Edwards, G. and C. Aldous, H. W. Preston, J. Kellow and Son, A. Walker, W. Feilding, W. Chricton, M. J. M'Leod, C. H. Barratt, P. O'Douohuc, •and Shacklock and friend, 2s 6d each; — total, £7 18s 6d.