CRUELTY TO ANIMALS

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 25, 29 July 1936, Page 4

CRUELTY TO ANIMALS

S.P.C.A. CONFERENCE

NEED FOR IMPROVEMENT

j The annual meeting of the Federated Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was lield today under the presidency of the Rev. Clyde Carr, M.P. The following delegates were present:—Mr. Marsden Woods (Whangarei), Mr. S. Mason (Auckland), Mr. F. J. Marfell (Waikato), Mrs. C. Christie (Taranaki), the Rev. Mr. Tye (Wanganui), Mr. A. F. Wimsett (Palmerston North), Mr. J. Nairn (Fcildirig), Mr. J. H. Ho well (Wellington)," Mr. Sinclair Thompson (Timaru), Mr. J. R. Salt (Gisborne, North Otago, and Napier), and Mr. D. Bryan (Buller). In opening the meeting, Mr. Carr said they could not help being appalled at the inhumanity that still existed in the community. He would not say that farmers were more inhuman than other people, but amongst them there was a great lack of consideration for the brute creation. Cruelty went on in spite of the vaunted civilisation of the present century. Giving details of some experiments with puppies with a view to finding out more about distemper, he said the puppies were exposed on foul ground to the most rigorous climatic conditions, and described such things as "quite diabolical." New Zealand's welfare, he said, depended largely on its livestock. Humane treatment of animals on whom we depended paid, even financially. Nothing morally unsound could be economically sound. Dealing seratim with the problems confronting the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Mr. Carr said that in some parts of the country there was still inadequate shelter for livestock, but it was ibeginning to be realised that in planting trees utility and aesthetic beauty went hand in hand. The dehorning of cattle was still a cruelty widely perpetrated. The horn buds of calves could be treated comparatively painlessly, thus avoiding cruelty to the adult animal. The bobby calf trade was inhuman and barbarous and a blot on New Zealand's primary industries. The methods used for killing stock, too, needed bringing into line with the more humane methods adopted elsewhere. Mr. Carr concluded by congratulating the society on the work already done, and expressed the hope that the present Government would be able to make that work more satisfactory still. The conference then proceeded to discuss the executive's report and amendments to the constitution. The report suggested that the federation should have its own publication, and this proposal will receive fuller consideration. Four proposed new Acts with which the meeting will deal are the Protection of Birds Act, the Registration of Dogs Act, the Animals Anaesthetics Act, and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals A.ct.