NO PLACE TO DRINK.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 August 1926, Page 11

NO PLACE TO DRINK.

COWS IN SMALL PADDOCKFARMER PROSECUTED BY S B.C.A. CON MOTION AND.FINE IMPOSED, Remarking that there seemed to be * great deal of difference of opinion amongst farmers as to what constituted cruelty, but that in the case before him he considered the animals had not been pro« perly supplied with water, Mr. R. W. S.M., convicted Ernest Dive in the Magig. trate’s Court at New Plymouth yesterday on a charge of leaving stock in a paddoclc without sufficient Jood and water, and fined him £l. The information against Dive was laid by the Society fdr the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, for whom Mr. L. Hughes appeared. Outlining his case, Mr, Hughes said that on August 11 the in« spector of the S.P.C.A. and Constable Hadler found 14 dairy cows, two yearlings and a 20-month heifer grazing—or attempt* ; ing to graze—in a two-acre paddock. The owner, when interviewed, admitted that he had put the animals in the paddock four days before and had not supplied then! ’ with any water. Two of the cows bad recently calved. Inspector Tippins, confirming these state, rnents, said that when admitted to an. other paddock the stock galloped to the water. The paddock where they had beeni was on a slope and rain water would noV lie. Mr. R. J. Brokcnshire cross-examined in the direction that a part of the paddock was flat and that considerable rain had , fallen on the days preceding the 11th,’ which was the first fine day for some time,' The inspector admitted that if the paddock had been shut up for twelve months it would contain enough grass to feed the slock in question for two days. Some of the cattle were thin and some were in fair condition. EVIDENCE OF THE CONSTABLE. Constable Hadler said that the. <;ows ap.-' peared to be very hungry and thirsty, . What grass the paddock contained was iq .' rank tufts. Replying to Mr. Brokenshire, the constable said he would not like to leave his cows dependent on the water caught by grass in rainy weather. The defendant said he would shift the cows after he had finished his work at five o'clock, about two • hours later, but the witness and the inspector insisted that he should do so at. once. 7: F. W. Sutton, Government stock inspector, deposed that he certainly considered it cruelty to leave stock for four days >,'• and four nights without water. He should expect water to be in a paddock where cows were calving. Cross-examined, the witness agreed that the season modified his opinion concerning leaving cattle without water but he considered that even during showery weather in winter they would not get sufficient water from the grass to satisfy their thirst. If there had been pools in the paddock on the 10th and the cattle were 1 to be given water on the following evening - they would not have really suffered. CASE FOR THE DEFENCE. The paddock had been leased by the..,'-, defendant for grazing purposes after being shut up for at least six months, said Mr, Brokenshire, in opening his defence. Hq reiterated the contentions concerning weather conditions and moisture in the grass which had been made in cross-examina-tion. The defendant said he considered there was still feed in the paddock when the stock were removed. He inspected them night and morning on his way to and from work, and could see no signs of suffering or discontent. Pools were lying in the paddock every day except the 11th, If there was cruelty in this ease, every! body in New Zealand who handled stock was cruel. He told the inspector that it was his intention to cease work at 4 o’clock that day in order to move the stock. John Barr, farmer of Frankley Road, deposed .that the paddock had been free of stock for at least six months, and he considered it contained ample feed to last the defendant’s stock for four days. He saw the stcok on the afternoon of the' 10th, and they looked all right. He considered the case taken against the defendant was all humbug. An extract from the official weather records was produced to show that rain wasrecorded on each day from August |7 toi August llj the readings being made in the mornings. Mr. Hughes pointed out-that the total was only ti little more than half an inch (.64 inch). The magistrate remarked that there seemed to be a great deal of difference of opinion among farmers as to what con- , stituted cruelty. In this case he considered that the aniriials had not been properly supplied with water. He convicted defendant and imposed a line of £1 and costs (£1 Ils).