PROTECTION OF ANIMALS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7545, 30 October 1902, Page 2

PROTECTION OF ANIMALS.

'■; That most admirable institution, the local branch of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, continues to give evidence ol its activity. At. the Magistrate's Court- on Tuesday a number of charges laid at. its instigation were beard, and, although the proportion of convictions was not large, the list was long enough to encourage the branch to pursue its good work. We at-e not in the .confidence of the members of the Jocal branch- and therefore we aro not closely familiar with the ' line* on which the branch works. We do not know, for instance, whether it takes cases into Court solely on the advice of its Inspector, or whether it can b? spurred into action by the. complaint of any trustworthy layman. Again, » r e are not aware whether the branch makes a practice of proceeding in all cases of cruelty uninfluenced hy such considerations as .the. station or financial position of a, culprit. We hope we shall not ho charged with offending members by referring to these, points. In case we should innu their displeasure, wo hasten to assure them that we simply desire to obtain information on matters which we believe to be of vital importance to the branch and to the public. Until we receive that information we shall assume, of course, that the hranch makes a habit of prosecuting at the instigation of any respectable complainant, and (juitf- irrespective of position, in faot without fe-ar or favour. It could fL'tf.rcely -do otherwise. • The Society rxist.fi on public opinion, and so long as it has the good opinion of tho public it will nut only continue to oxist. but also to flourish. On the othr-r liand, directly it loses (he good opinion of the community, so surely will it begin to languish. There would be no silver way of losing its hold on public favour than by allowing the suspicion to get abroad that ft made fish of one and flesh of another. Better have half a dozen ca*es dismissed than one prosecution dropped for fear of creating a- scandal.