PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS SOCIETY.

Evening Star, Issue 10900, 7 April 1899, Page 4

PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS SOCIETY.

The annual meeting of the Otago Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals j was held in the Town Hall yesterday after- i noon. His Honor Mr Justice Williams | (president) occupied the chair, and there were about forty ladies and gentlemen present. The Chairman, in moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet (already published), said:—lt is very satisfactory, considering the unfortunate state of the weather, that this meeting,is as well attended as it is to-day. The report presents very few new ♦features. It must be the case in a society of this kind that the tale which we have to tell in one year is very much like the tale we had to tell the year before. 1 he report, I think, is satisfactory in many ways. It shows that the number of members has increased, fne number now being 316, which is twenty more than the previous year. It shows, also, that the subscriptions have increased, being £l2O 19s, as against £lll 13s 6d in 1897. That, however, would be a very small matter unless there was something in the report to show that tlie society had been doing good work, and that, I think, does appear. J he Committee say that the cases of cruelty which were brought before them were scarcely as flagrant as many thev have had to deal with in former years: and the inspector, in his report, says that he notices a vast improvement-in the car, cab, and drag horses, and also in contractors' horses. It was found necessary in twelve cases that offenders should be prosecuted, and it is satisfactory to note tliat in each case a conviction was obtained, lhat, I think, indicates that the procedure carried on by the inspector and by the society is not of a harassing nature—that it is only in clear cases where persons are brought before the courts. The functions of the society should be more preventive than punitive, and the inspector has in eighty-five cases cautioned different persons, and did not prosecute them. The Committee state in their report that representation was made to the Minister of Justice as to a statement in the 'Otago Daily Times' to the effect that bird hunters at the Chatham Islands were in the habit of breaking the legs of young albatrosses and other sea birds, and leaving them in that state for several days. The Committee sent a letter to the Minister of Justice on this matter, and he promised to have it inquired into. They have heard no further on the subject. I trust that the information that this state of things existed was not well founded. I regret that in the course of the vear two members of the Committee and friends of the society have died— Mr Douglas, who I believe was one of the earliest veterinary surgeons of the society, and Mr Meikle. The Committee have to thank numerous friends, including Inspector Pardv, of the Police Department, for very cordial assistance, the Railway Department, Mr Bamfield. the contractor for railway advertising, who allows our notices to appear without charge, the honorary officers, solicitors, veterinary surgeons, and local agents. In the report of the Committee for last year a case was mentioned where a person had trapped rabbits, and had kept them alive for several days with their legs broken. The case, as appears from the report, was not proceeded with, owing to the illness of the perpetrator of the cruelty. Since then, however, it has been represented to the society that the mode of trapping rabbits is not what it should be—that the effect of trapping them is in manv cases to break their legs, and that they are left in that condition for some days, perhaps until the trapper goes round to take them out. Ihose who are engaged in pastoral pursuits will know better than I do, perhaps better than the Committee do, whether such a statement is well founded. If it is, it is to be hoped that some trap might be devised which would not have the effect of mutilating the rabbits, and leaving them bleeding and in torture. Representations have also been made to the Committee of the practice of unnecessarily tying up horses' tails so that they are unable to rid themselves of flie« I have been asked to mention this subject. I cannot say from my own observation how far the practice prevails, and 1 do not know to what extent it is really remediable. The Committee are always glad to receive from any person any suggestion of any kind which relates to the welfare of animals. The public may depend teat .if any complaint is brought forward or suggestion made, it will be carefully inquired into. In closing their report, the Committee say it is most desirable that anv information should be accompanied by the address of the informant, which would be received strictly in confidence if so desired by the writer j the Committee will, however, take into consideration anonymous allegations which appear to be brought forward in good faith. I need hardly say that it is most desirable that any person who makes a complaint should give his name, under the assurance from the Committee that it will be received in confidence if the complainant so wishes. The earlier part of the report of the Committee shows the desirability that names should be given. A charge was made against a slaughterman in an anonymous letter to one of the daily papers, and the writer when appealed to, refused to give any information as to the name of the offender Of course, the letter might just as well have been unwritten, and, indeed, bettei. 1 was not present at the last annual meetmg, and have been absent from the colony during he last year. Until lately I was under the impression that societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals were to be found in English-speaking countries only. However, I was much gratified to find that in Belgium there was a society for the prevention o cruelty to animals, which has been estabSheTfo? thirty-six years, and which is very much alive. It proceeds much on the same K* a our society here. They have msnectors: thev receive complaints, and they SecSe. the extent of the operations of ?he society may be shown by the fact hat, according to their durinz the year ended the Ist October last, So less than 665 convictions were obtained hi the city of Brussels alone They were of he usual kind-for the i 1-treatment of horses and of animals of various kinds; and oneleXe is that nearly half of the convicSis were for the ill-treatment of dogs. In Belgium, as many of you are aware, clogs Se used, and are allowed to be used by aw under certain restrictions, for drawing carts and alarge proportion of the convictions were obJabedVthe ill-treatment of these unfortunate animals. It is very satisfactory to Se that the sense of duty towards.our fellow-beings is spread beyond KnelisnS Sons. One could only wish that Sanations of South Europe, wher the ill-treatment of animals is very-gross, a, better spirit prevailed. I have now the pleasure; ladies and gentlemen, of moving the adoption of the report and balanceS The Rev. A. North seconded the motion for the adoption of the report. He stated that he would like to have the opportunity of expressing his pleasure and the gratification the citizens of Dunedin had in seeing His Honor again in the chair after his absence from the colony.-(App ause.) He did not think there was anything which railed for special comment from him, unless it was that he might be permitted to express a hope that someone would devise a means of legitimately spending the surplus the society had accumulated. They were in danger of becoming bloated plutocrat* He had an idea that possibly they might devote some of their surplus funds to the circulation of literature of the right sort through the schools, and thus do something to deepen sympathy with the lower creatures m their sufferings, and to further aid the society in the work it was doing. There were, he believed, some small books or pamphlets that might be adapted for this purpose, and he did not know of a better method to stimulate interest in the object the society was -working for. He quite confirmed what was s=aid in one of the letters read by the chairman that the society was doing quietly efficient work. The work had been done with much gracionsness by the agent, and he had «arefully avoided raising anv feeling against Oiimself or the society. The consequence was that the verv existence of the society and the knowledge that their agent was r>Mut his work repressed largely acts of brutality to animals. .... _. The motion for the adoption of the report was then carried. ELECTA OFFICERS. *Dr Hocken proposed the re-election of Mr Justice Williams as president of the society, in doing so, ]& Wjjlcomed His Honor on his return irom a wellr deserved holiday. He frosted that he would live long to be able to

act in the capacity as president of the •ofijttjrJ and continue the Rood work■ which, he had', taken in hand. As to what' the, Rev. Mr, North had said about influencing the chik| dren he thought that it was most important to endeavor to develop the growth amongst young people of a solicitude for the protection of animals. This could be further accomplished by enabling children to become members of the society at a small fee. The fact should be impressed upon them that there are many forms of cruelty which the> I practised not wilfully, but ignorantly, and did not recognise, and which their seniors did not recognise. The election of His Honor was then carried. His Honor, in acknowledging the compliment, expressed his thanks to the Rev. Mr North and Dr Hocken for the kind way in which they had referred to him. Mr J. B. Thomson moved that the Hon. Thomas Dick and Mr George Fenwick be re-elected a* vice-presidents, both of whom he stated had taken a very keen interest hi the society. Mr H. E. Shacklock seconded the motion, which was carried. On the motion of Mr Torrance the following Committee was re-elected:—Ales-dames D. L. Adamson, J. Allen, Dick, Edwards, Hocken, Jeffcoat, Gordon Maccouald, Howard Jackson, Misses Marion C. Allan, E. I. G. Eliott, Isabella Mills, His Worship the Mayor (for the time being), Hon. S. E. Shrimski, Dr Hocken, Dr Ogston, Messrs Colin Allan, T. S. Graham, H. F. Hardy, W. Mills, J. Robin, W. H. Taggart, D. E. Theomin. J. B. Thomson, W. Wills, and William Livingstone. The Rev. J. Gibb, in moving that Messrs T. Cunningham (Oamaru), A. Hamilton, F. , Robertson (Oamaru), and W. D. Snowball be elected honorary veterinary surgeons, said he would like to take the opportunity of expressing his pleasure at the successful operations of the society during the last twelve months. The ideal of such a society a<. that was to bring about a state of affairs under which such a society would no longer be necessary. It did not seem from the report that the society was approximating to that desired period, but if they went on as they had in the past, some day this desirable end would be achieved. He hoped, however, that the society would noj become finical in its work, and he made this remark from what had been said about tying up horses' tails. Nowadays there was such a tendency for inspecting that they would next have an inspection of the articles one had at his breakfast table. He thought the society should ascertain if it really were a cruel thing to tie up a horse's tail before it took any action. He had seen horses in that position, and it did not strike him that they were particularly uncomfortable on that account. In fact, the horses he had seen like that appeared to be strong, lusty animals, and well looked after by their owners He was sure, however, that the society's work in all matters would be prudently and carefully carried out by the agent. —(Hear hear.) At another society—the Patients and Prisoners' Aid Society—it was customarv to sound the praises "[the agent of that body (Mr Torrance), and he thought that as regarded the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Society, they should make reference to the admirable manner in which the acrent did his work. He thought the society should be congratulated in possessing an officer so zealous, and the performance of. whose duties was marked -with so much common sense.—(Applause.) Mr Colin Allan seconded the motion, which was carried. # The Chairman said that in regard to Mr Gibb's remarks it would not do for the society to be finical. No doubt the society would take every precaution, and would not act without the fullest information.—(.dear, e t)n to motion of Mr Colin Allan the following honorary solicitors were re-elected: —Messrs W. Allan (Mosgiel), A. Bathgate, F R. Chapman, A. G. Creagh (Oamaru), A. Crooke (Lawrence), E C. Cutten (Nasebv), D. M. Findlay (Palmerston), D. Finlavson (Lawrence), J. F. M.Fraser, J. M. Gallawar, A. L. Herdman (Naseby), W. C MacGreeor. W. D. Milne H. Newton (Oamaru). F. D. Platts (Port Chalmers), D. Reid (Milton) W. A. Sim, S. Solomon, D. Stewart (Balclutfc), F. J. Stilling, W. Turton (Queenstown), and E. P. Lee (Oamaru). Mr J B. Thomson, who seconded the motion, said that he had always heard the acent siv that every solicitor he bad met wOh while investigating and prosecuting cases in the country freely rendered him every assistance, and gave him the best (t advice.— 'Applause.) The other office-bearers elected were: Hon. secretary, Mr E. Quick; hon. treasurer Mr F. Smith ; hon. agents, Messrs Glasgow Logan (Owaka) and Hadden- Dennison (Oamaru). ~, , .!_• 1 + ! Dr Hocken said he did not think that nnv suggestion should so '"forth to .the public that it was proposed that the society should interfere in trifling matters. With regard to horses' tails, horses sometimes had their tails tier! up for days, and perhaps weeks; and while in the stable and elsewhere were unable to relieve themselves from the attacks of flies. This was not referred to as any matter of gross cruelty, but to draw attention to the fact that this practice sometimes caused the animals a good deal c-f inconvenience, and that in summer time they should be permitted to use their tails for the purpose for which they were designed. On the motion of Mr Robin, a vote of thanks to the president was carried, and the meeting terminated.