Readers Write

Northern Advocate, 23 August 1945, Page 4

Readers Write

NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENTS lLetters to the Editor must be written in ink on one side of the paper only and not exceed 200 words. Envelopes should be endorsed “Readers Write.”] In order to remove any misappre hension that may have been caused tv the announcement that the High

PEACE DAY PARADE

School Boys’ Band was parading behind the High School Ca-

dets in the Peace Day procession, may I say that it was the junior branch of the Whangarei Municipal Silver Band which was in the procession. The boys were appearing in their new uniforms for the first time, which may have led to the error in announcement. —W. McAULIFFE. hon. secretary. I read with interest your leader of August 7, and congratulate you on the stand taken to help relieve the suffering of young

BOBBY CALF TRADE

calves, especially as it is a case of “out of sight.” To many

of us who spend our time in the country, the beautiful spring is ruined to a* certain extent by what goes on around us. The average farmer I know is humane, but you do see instances of heartless farmers who bebrudge a baby calf a drop of new milk for five days to kelp it over a copule of hard, trying days. Even for the sake of their pocket (if for no other reason) it would pay to feed calves well as the payout, I believe, is 3d per lb over a certain weight and 2d per lb below. I agree, with what E. A. Knapp* “Merciful” and Mrs Platt have to say on the matter, and appeal to lorry drivers to do the right thing and turn, down un-nourished calves that are unable to stand the long journey. “ANIMAL LOVER (Houto).

Mrs F. Platt’s letter gives a wrong impression of farmers. I am a farmer and hate the bobby calf trade. The great majority of farmers are kind to their animals, and only a few, say, 5 per cent, are cruel, if thoughtless. Mrs Platt's statement is too enveloping. The cruelty is not all on the farmer's side. I have known town people motor into the country and drop unwanted cats on the roadside, also an old unwanted dog. miles away from home, to look after himself, also an old blind dog left to be run over and killed by a car. These cases do not show that all the townspeople are cruel any more than the bobby calves show that all farmers are cruel. What about the hundreds of bobby calves locked up in trucks without food or water for days while the freezing works employees were on strike? Mrs Platt suggests that farmers could put up pens for calves awaiting .transport. This is already done, and drivers will not accept calves not in a pen.—“FARMER.”