Cruelty to Animals.

Otago Witness, Issue 2949, 21 September 1910, Page 23

Cruelty to Animals.

ITO THE EDITOR. Sir, —With reference to tho report of j the prosecution at Balclutha of persons for cruelty to animals I may state that I purchased the fat cattle in question at Balclutha salo on the Friday, and did not become the owner of them till 3.30 or 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Having more cattle to lift at Inch-clutha, I instructed my drover that, after putting my cattle into a big pen, he.was to go to thn Inchclutha to get my other cattle and then to join th<3 two lots together and come about four miles that day and paddock. As, however, he had a bit of trouble with the rest of the stock, he did not get .back as soon as he would have liked to have. Although I was not the owner of the cattle and they were not 24 houra in my possession, yet as I really did net know any of the particulars at the time of the ( sitting of the court, I had no option bufc. j to plead "Guilty," for hlad I pleaded l "Not guilty'' I might have made state-- ! ments that were not true. I explained the circumstances, however, to his Worship, and he said lie would hear the other cases before he would fine me. In the last caso of cruelty to animals the owner said ho put the cattle in the yards on purpose, that-, he did not offer them for sale, and they.| were in about throe hours longer than my, cattle, and he was the owner of his when he put them into tho yards. Surely his Worship must have overlooked' the fact that his was a far more serious ! offence than mine. Yet his case was dismissed and I was fined 10s and 7s costs. Ir buyers at the yarJs are going to be prosecuted in this way by police who have no more thought than to say that animals are being cruellv treated by a person who has only had possession of thiem for about 17 hours. I think that it is time that tho corporation took stops to protect peoplo who patronise its saleyards. Hoping that readers of vour papr-r will see that I am. not in the wrong.—l am. etc.. John Paclis, Butcher. j Lawrence, September 17.