PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS

Otago Witness, Issue 3595, 6 February 1923, Page 51

PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS

The forty-first annual meeting of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was held on Friday. The president (Sir George Fenwick) presided over a satisfactory attendance. In moving (he adoption of the report, as previously published, Sir George said ho regretted there was no mention in it tf live pigeon shooting or enclosed coursing, its they knew’, they had made strong efforts to have both these practices slopped, and they had been in some measure successful as far as pigeon shooting was concerned. It was to the credit of the Gun Club that when it was drawing up its programme for the season it had eliminated all matches with live pigeons as targets. The Gun Club was doing quite a useful work in its own direction, and he wanted to express his thanks to it for the action which it had taken. As to coursing, it was going to be a difficult problem. They knew how the w ires had been pulled during the last session of Parliament, but he hoped that the coursing authorities would some day follow the example of the Gun Club. It was pleasant to see that they had attained to a membership, in Otago, of 1650. which was quite phenomenal. This meant that Mr Craig had secured 95 new members during the year. It was very pleasant, also, to see that Mr Duncan had obtained 77 new members, making their Southland membership 562. Referring to the fact that there hfßi been only one prosecution during the year, Sir George said some people might think they were not active enough in this direction, but he did not think it was advisable to prosecute if they could induce people otherwise to mend their ways. They must take it that their inspector was satisfied. He thought this was undoubtedly due to the work that the society had been carrying on. The financial statement showed a very satisfactory position, as they closed the year with a balance of £Bl 4s sd. They had also benefited from bequests. Mr J. A. Park seconded the motion. Rev. W. Saunders drew attention to the greater number of those who had been “cautioned” in Southland, as compared with Otago, but Mr W. F. Sligo considered that it could be explained by the fact that tho society had been working fey so long in Otago. Tlie Mayor (Air J. S. Douglas) expressed the citizens’ appreciation of the work of the scfciety. T he report was then adopted. The Pillowing office-bearers were elected: President, Sir George Fenwick; vice-presi-dents —Rev. W. Saunders. Messrs Crosby Alorris and IV. D. Snowball; hon. treasurer, Mr W. F. Sligo; auditors, Messrs W. Brown anu Company; hon. veterinary surgeons Alessrs W. D. Snowball. W. D. Blair, J. Danskin (Dunedin). D. Alarshall (Balelutha), T. Cunningham (Oamaru), J. Aliller (Invercargill) ; committee —Alesdanies Edwards and Porteaus, Miss Porteous, the Mayor (Mr J. S. Douglas), Rev. AI. Diamond. Messrs A. Kilpatrick. T. Elliott, P. Johnson, J. Brown. S. P. Leith. T. Sheppard (Dunedin). D. Al’Lennan (Heriotj, B. J. Faitt (Gore), and P. Briscoe (Waitati); honorary solicitors—Alessrs Calvert and Brugh, Hislop, Lang, and Paterson, \V. L. Moore, \. C. Hanlon, W. C. M'Gregor, White, Ramsay, and Barraclough, A. G. Neill. B. S. Irwin. Solomon, Gascoigne, and Sinclair, J. C. Stephens, Adams Bros. (Dunedin). D. M’Cochrane (Gore), C. E. Davey (Wyndham). J. Walsh (Winton), W. 11. Y. Hall, 8. G. Hall Jones. Longuet and Robertson, Russell. Son. and Aleredith, V. Raines. Stout and Lillicrap, W. J. Tait. J. L. Al‘G. Watson, R. H. Hewitt, Maealister Bros. (Invercargill), W. S. Hunter (Riverton), I). Stewart and R. R. Gregor (Balelutha). A. G. Creagh, P. C. 11. Gorring. E. P. Lee, and H. Newton (Oamaru), R. C. Aloore (Lawrence), W. A. Bodkin (Alexandra), A. AI. Broderick (Cromwell), D. Reid. R. M. Rutherford, and G. 11. Thomson (Milton), W Carkle (Palmerston). J. A. Moyle (Heriot), D. L. Poopelwell, E. R. Bowler, and W B. Johnson (Gore). J. Fraser (Naseby), H. O. Haggiti (Port Chalmers). J A Walker (Balelutha). Alex. Duncan (Dunedin). G. P. Keddell (Clyde), and R. Gilkison, jun. (Queenstown). Mr D. E. Theomin expressed the society a appreciation of its president’s services.