The Star. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1904. A. SOCIETY'S PLEA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7924, 1 February 1904, Page 2

The Star. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1904. A. SOCIETY'S PLEA.

The request for a subsidy, which the Christchurch Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals intends to submit to the Premier this evening, is merely a repetition of a number of former petitions on the same subject made by the Society. Last session, it will be recollected, the Society sent a deputation to Wellington to wait on Mr Seddon and urge its claims for State asfsistan'ce. On that occasion, it. will be remembered also, the Premier displayed a good deal of sympathy with the aims of the Society, arid, without making a definite promise, held out a- 'hope that the Government would grant it a subsidy of 10s in the £ on its own revenue. The Society ds still living on this hope. In spite of the fact that it has dropped more or less delicate hints that a little financial aid "to go on with " would 1 be acceptable, it has not received a shilling of State .-subsidy. It intends to make a fresh- application this evening, when it is to be hoped that it will' meet with better success than has attended its past efforts. For, in spite of what has been urged to the contrary, we think that the Society is a factor for gopd in Canterbury, and we are quite satisfied that with a little financial assistance and encouragement from the Government it might do very much better work than it does now. One of the obr jeptions urged against the Society is that ,the police can do all that it does, and do it a great deal better. From this view we dissent emphatically. Impaired as its efficiency is at present owing to a lack of funds, the Society may not be in a position to boast as long a record of valuable work as otherwipe it might have jeen able to exhibit ; but, considering the limited funds at its disposal, it has. no causa to be dissatisfied with its achievements. It has certainly accomplished enough to justify the belief that with State help it would- be able to enlarge its scope and materially extend; its influence for good. As for the police being able to do the work of the Society, when they have made as much of the opportunities afforded them as the Society hag done, we will cheerfully admit that there isi no room for the latter. But, as we have said j many .times before, the police have other work to attend 'to, and the many and diverse duties which they are called upon to perform leave them little time to prosecute the work of animal protection. This 'being the. case, it eeems to us that they would Ibe well advised; if they welcomed the cooperation of ths Society. In the hands of a careful and enterprising inspector, the labours of the Society should be of the very greatest help to the police, and at the same time of much value to the community.