ANIMAL WELFARE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 46, 23 August 1938, Page 8

ANIMAL WELFARE

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —Your correspondent, C. Gilchrist, is so much more concerned about the interests of "vets." than about those of dumb animals that I have nothing further to say in reply bat this: The skilled veterinary surgeon is in New Zealand so privileged, alike by his training and by his rarity, that any concern about his interests is hardly called for. When the Auckland S.P.C.A., needing the full-time services of a "vet." have to bring one from Sydney on more than one occasion, and when our Government, in order to obtain sufficient "vets/ for its own well-paid service, has to incur the expense of sending cadets to Sydney to train, it is clear tfcat New Zealand today is far from being at "saturation point" as far as the absorption of veterinary surgeons is concerned. If our legislation were at all in line with that of Britain we should be still further from it. The greater our reverence for life the greater will be our demand for the alleviation of suffering. Your readers will have noticed in Saturday's "Post" as an example of the deplorable indifference to animal suffering that is so widespread in the community that over 600 men and women employed at the Westfield Freezing Works, dissatisfied with the oize of their lockers, chose as an opportune moment to strike the time when there were 4000 baby calves in the yards, crying piteously to be put out of their misery, knowing all the while that it was impossible to feed them or to relieve their sufferings in any way but by death. And what argument does the Minister of Labour use in his endeavour to call off the strike? That they are hurting the farmers' pockets. And why this demand for the spread of opossums throughout our already denuded bush, when it would involve the torture of many more thousands of these creatures in the cruel spring trap? Simply for cash. —I am, etc., JOHN H. HOWELL. "During the past year we have supplied 10,000 meals to members of the staff and 8000 to members," said an employers' assessor in the chartered clubs' dispute before the conciliation council today when the council was considering the supply of meals to employees of the clubs. "Often we put on meals almost entirely for the staff," remarked another employers' assessor.