TO PRESENT CRUELTY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6678, 28 November 1908, Page 3

TO PRESENT CRUELTY

ANNUAL MEETING OF S.P.C.A. AN APPEAL FOR FUNDS. The fifteenth annual meeting of the (Society for tho Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was hold yesterday,, Mr JIlott presiding. There vrCT a fair jattondance of members. : REPORT AND BALANCE-SHEET. Mr Seed, the society's inspector comes ■in for eulogistic reference in the animal report, which states" Tho committee feels it was very fortunate in (being able to again avail itself of Mr (Seed's services, and ho has discharged ithe duties to its entire satisfaction ; and it recognises the zeal, tact, and judgment evinced in connection with Ins work; and greatly appreciates the valuable service he is rendering as ine 'society's inspector, and wishes it liar it in its power to award him a more adequate remuneration than is at present possible, with the slender funds at fits disposal.” ' The following is a summary of the principal cases investigated during the ■year: — Working lame ■ horses, 112; '.working horses with sore backs and iahouldera, 47; old and decrepit horses destroyed, 63; undue severity in flogging horses, 8; over-loading horses, 11; .under-feeding horses, 37; horses needjng 'rest and treatment, 26; severely injuring horse’s mouth, 1; over-driving horses, 6; warning drivers, 25; cruel treatment of cattle, 14: dogs destroyed, 3; starving dogs, 5; dog injured by gun-shot, 1; dog severely injured by (boy, X; starving kittens, 3; blinding [cat by boy shooting, 1; overcrowding ■poultry in transit, 16; ill-treating .monkeys, 3; sundry cases inquired (into, 10. ' “There is an increase of cases of decrepit and worn-out horses dealt (with during tho year,” continues the 'report, “the number being sixty-two. (In many cases the horses have been injured and turned out without getting 'professional advice, which, had the ■owners obtained, no doubt many would have recovered. But it appears to he a very common practice, when no more work can bo got out of them, to turnhorses adrift so as to avoid the ex--pense of having them destroyed andj' buried. Under-feeding is also very prevalent in and around Wellington ; a' large percentage being little more than; mere skeletons.” .

The report emphasised the need of( the passing of a Farriers Bill, as bad ■shooing was undoubtedly responsible, for the lameness of many horses. Only thirteen cases were token into Court, .owing to inability to produce what was ■deemed sufficient evidence to warrant, legal proceedings, and some gross cases ,oi cruelty had gone unpunished on that ■account. The society regretted that jMr Gilruth, Chief Government Veterinarian, was leaving the Dominion. Ho had been the society's V.S. for a number of years and had rendered many valuable services. Valuable help had also been given by Mr Quinnell, V.S., who had rendered the inspector much assistance by giving evidence in Court on several occasions. Hie best thanks of the society were again due to the Now Zealand Government and the Wellington and Manawalu Railway Company for free passes over their respective lines to its inspector, thus enabling him to attend to several very bad cases of cruelty at a distance. Thanks were also due to the chief inspector, sub-inspector and police generally, for their co-operation and assistance; to the Council of the Chamber of Commerce for tho use of tho chamber for committee meetings; to the society’s hon. solicitors; to the press, for kindly aid, and reports of the society’s proceedings throughout the year; to the Chief Veterinarian and his staff; to Mr C. D. Morpeth, hon. auditor; to the friends who had helped by reporting, cases requiring investigation ; and to all who had in any way assisted the society in its work. The balance-sheet' showed that £46 10s 5d was brought forward from last year, which, together with subscrip-

tions amounting to £l7l 3s Cd, made a total of £277 13s lid. Tho expenditure amounted to £l7O 8s lid, leaving a credit balance at tho close of the year of £47 ss. LACK OP FUNDS. In moving tho adoption of the report and balance-sheet the chairman said the society was greatly hampered through lack of funds. If there was more money available a groat deal more work could be done in tho suppression of cruelty. Tho society had no endowments and had to rely upon tho voluntary subscriptions of the public. Tho work carried out was done so quietly that a great part of the public did not really know the necessity of such a society, or the good results it achieved. Ho was pleased to note that within the last year interest in the work had been shown by other districts, and communications had been received in regard to tho methods of the Wellingson society. Every arsiVanco had been rendered and information supplied. A society had beer, inaugurated in the Wairarapa during the year with headquarters at Masterton. Good work was bo ing done there and he hoped to see other places follow suit in the future. The plea for humane treatment for dumb animals was in the spirit and in accordance with the doctrines of Christianity. NO ENTHUSIASM. Mr J. G. W. Aitken said tho citizens of Wellington were not fully aware of tho work carried out by the society. The fact of a meeting being held once a fortnight did not seem to arouse the public to the pitch of enthusiasm required to bring them to the society’s aid. He did not know what steps to take to make the people more helpful. The majority of the people were not aware of the exceedingly valuable work which was done. If the society did not exist dumb animals would meet a very much worse fate than was tho case now and “God knows,” he said,, “some meet a hard enough fate as it is.” He realised that the inspector was a valuable and discreet officer; and tho society was exceedingly well pleased in having his services. If the public knew what sort of a man Mr Seed was they would have a little more confidence in him and a little more cash might bo forthcoming. The report and balance-sheet were unanimously adopted. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The election of officers resulted;— Patron, his Excellency tho Governor Lord Plunket; president, Mr J. S. Jameson; vice-presidents, Sir Robert •Stout, his Worship the Mayor (Hon. T. W l . Hislop), Messrs W. Watson, J. Ilott and J. G. W. Aitken; committee, Mesdamcs H. P. Rawson, C. Christie, A. E. Kernot, W. R. Williams, Revs. J. R. Glasson and W. J. Williams, Messrs J. M. Richardson, G. Brown, 11. Cook; hon solicitors, Messrs A- R. Atkinson, B. L. Burgess, A. L. Herdman, R. B. Williams, T. Young, R. H. Webb, R. W. Tate (Greytown North); hon. vet. surgeon, Mr 0. J. Reakes; hon. auditor, Mr O. D. Morpeth.