A HANDICAPPED SOCIETY.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12857, 24 December 1912, Page 6

A HANDICAPPED SOCIETY.

The French Society for the Protection of Animals is an institution which has mttch work before it, for neglect and ill-treatment of horses and cattle and more prevalent in France than in British countries. The hands of the society are, however, tied 3 owing to the absence of any Parliamentary or political backing up, without which nothing can succeed in France. The great troublo is with the Paris carters and their horses. A happy hunting-ground for tho society's inspectors is the Porte de la Chapelle, one of the busiest points in the city for the carting of heavy goods. A never-ending stream of ponderous carts and wagons passes through the gate, some thousands weekly. Here one can see loads consisting of colossal blocks of stone and piles of ironwork drawn by teams of six horses, one 'between, the shaft, two abreast in front, and then three tandem, harnessed with huge chains and wearing collars of 50 or 60 pounds. The inspectors know more or less which firms take care of and which neglect their horses. There are two main kinds of offence to bel looked for, the brutality of the carters, and the working of horses with sores rubbed by the harness. Whenever a horse is found to be in an unfit state, the inspectors draws up a proces-yerbal signed by one of the police on' duty, and the offender is fined for a "contravention"—ten or twelve shillings. But there are incorrigible cases, an inspector informed a "Standard" representative. One large owner has had "contraventions" without number, and has even gone to prison for three weeks. His animals are half-starved, and always in fciad condition. "But here it is that tho absence of any power behind tho society makes itself evident. Technically the inspectors can force a carter to take a wounded horse out of harness and send it to the "lock-up," but it is found inexpedient to fall foul of the big contractors. "They are bound to deliver goods," the inspector explained, "and if we prevented them by stoppiii"- their teams they would complain, and we should probably suffer for it." For the contractors are often wealthy and influential, and command votes. This is another example of a political tyranny which even goes so far as to affect the well-being of horses.