CRUELTY CHARGES

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10543, 20 March 1920, Page 4

CRUELTY CHARGES

HEARD AT POLICE COURT BREEDER ALLEGED TO HAVE COUPLED ANIMALS. Proceedings were taken yesterday in tho Magistrate’s Court, before Mr E. Page,. S.M., by Inspector James Henry, of. the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, against John Reginald Welsbyj for cruelly ill-treat-ing fourteen calves.

inspector Henry said in company with a, corporation inspector he visited, on February sth, a hilly scrubby country in ithe vicinity of Mitchelltown, where ho saw fourteen calves belonging to tho defendant who is a cab proprietor, residing in Aro street. The calves ranged iu age from three to twelve months, and 'they were coupled in pairs by a collar on the neck of each and a short chain. The result was that the stronger c ; alf -of a pan 1 would pull tho weaker about-. They could not lie down in comfort, and in tho particular country on which they wens turned out, it was cruelty to couple them togoher. Tho animals were - in fairly good condition. By coupling tho calves in tho manner In which they were found, if tho weaker animal desired water and the stronger did not tho weaker calf would have to go 'thirsty. , . ■ Inspector James A. Short, employed by the City Corporation, stated that ho accompanied Inspector Henry to Mount Pleasant at tho head of Aro etihet and saw fourteen calves belonging to defendant coupled together. Tho greater portion of tho country was and by being coupled in pairs, each was dependent upon tie other when requiring waiter, or the stronger would imv© to drag the weaker to the stream. It was impossible, or almost so, for the calves to lie down together except on top of tho hills. Sergeant J. Sweeney said that he, during his service in the police force, had many opportunities to observe farming methods, but ho had never seen calved,coupled together after itho manner of tho defendant’s cattle. The chain joining tho collars was about a foot in length, and when ho inspected the place he observed on© calf dragging another by the neck. In his opinion it was a difficult matter for the coupled calves to move about with freedom in tho scrub, and the shortness of tho chain prevented them from lying' down in comfort. To Mr Cook: He saw one calf drag another from ten to fifteen yards. One oalf wanted to go down the lii.ll and tho other did not. YOKED TO A DEAD CALF. Norman Barker, solicitor, said that during a walls on- the Highland estate he noticed calves yoked together. A oalf was seen to be struggling to rise from a hollow in the ground; It succeeded and it was then observed thaft the calf in question Was linked to another, which was apparently dead. The live animal dragged tho dead one and slipped down the hill. Witness attempted to get near them in order to uncouple the chain but was unable to do so. To Mr Cook: Ho was fifteen yards away from the calves when ho saw them. The lire calf was so terrified that it made off down a steep gully when an attempt was made to approach IS. EVIDENCE FOR THE DEFENCE Mr-Cook, for the defence, said that hia client desired to have Dio wnole matter placed before tho court. It would be shown that the method adopted of coupling the calves together was the only one in order to rear them. It was a’humane method, as by. its adoption the lives of the animals were preserved. , , John Reginald Welsby, the defendant, said that lie was a stock, dealer. He made' many experiments an the rearing of calves, and the method of yoking them together in pairs had been the most successful. During tho past four years he had raised over 4.00 calves in a similar way and had never lost one. In the- first instance ho found that a cow would not suckle two calves consequently many cows -got imilk fever. A suggestion was made to him to cpuplo’ two calves together. Lfo tried the method, as an experiment, and found - it so successful that he adopted the principle. When chained together a cow would suckle them and they thrived out of all knowledge. At fix months the calves looked like yearlings. Tho cows ho had on the property were heavy milkers and gave from four to five gallons of milk daily. To Mr Kennedy; Ho did not feed calves by hand as they did not thrive so well. It was natural for calves'to suck milk and not feed out of a bucket, Twenty calves ho had purchased had been hand-foci. hut when tho had weather came on they all died. Prior to becoming a stock-dealer he had been a driver and had purchased horses for the Government. He had years of experience and took a- great interest in animals. He picked his stock and the most of them were pedigree animals. Since ho had reared his own animals ho had never lost ono calf. He was not aware that Inspector Henry had occasion to shoot one of his calves. He nad about 3GO acres which he used for grazing .purposes. He kept pedigree bulls and ‘bred stock only. To tho court: Ho had 60 breeding cows and his stock mainly consisted of Shorthorns and Hcrefords. Ho purchased calves, but if they were not tiuo to colour ho -got rid of them. Tho calves ho thought would have had their heads cut off if he had not purchased them. There was a groat demand for good beef steers. During a season he would probably, on an average, have 30 pairs of calves coupled. NOT A CRUEL METHOD. Frederick Crosby, veterinary surgeon, said he had inspected the defendant’s stock that morning and found the calves to bo in splendid condition. Tho practice of coupling calves was an old ono and was adopted in many parts of the world, including New Zealand. Tho condition of the. calves shewed that tho practice was not in any way' a cruel one. To tho court: Ho know of no other case in Now Zealand where tho system of coupling ‘two calves together wae carried out systematically. It was, however, carried out in the Western States, and in some cases three’ calves wore coupled together, but not more. Tho condition of - the animals was a

sure proof that the system was a good one. A GOOD IDEA. Inspector C. Webb, of the Stock Department, for many years said ho was a farmer before ho joined the Agricultural Department. He inspected Mr Wolsby’s calves,- and saw four of them which wore joined together in pairs. The idea was now to witness, and ho thought it a good one. Ho examined the animals, and was unable to discover any signs of chafing. The calves were from three to four months old. After that age it would bo foolish to couple them. To Air Kennedy: The calves were in fair condition, and far hotter than many dairy calves brought up on artificial food. He had heard of the coupling sjytem before, but had not eccu it in practice previously. Coupling of cattle for breaking-in purposes was common, and in his opinion it was cruel, ns tho animals were full-grown, (nit such was not, the case with calves. ANIMATS EQUALLY MATCHED. John Robert Anderson, farm manager to tho defendant, said that when coupling calves they were as equally matched as possible. A weak and a Strong calf- wero never coupled together. To Mr Kennedy: i During tho past two years and a half not a calf had been lost. Thomas Chatterton, custodian of the Karon reservoir, said that as a result of his observation ho did not think calves were ill-treated by being coupled together. He had coupled twelve-months-old steers with a yoke in Australia'. The magistrate said that before giving his decision he would visit the property, and inspect the oalvee. Mr R. Kennedy appeared for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and Mr B.' B. Cook' for the defendant.