IS PIGEON SHOOTING CRUELTY?.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXX, Issue 11977, 21 September 1906, Page 7

IS PIGEON SHOOTING CRUELTY?.

At the Police Court, Feilding, yesterday, beicre Messrs. W. J. B. Trewm and R. Burne, J's.P., the inspector of the S.P.C.A. (Mr. S. W. Fitzherbert) charged Chas. Tucker, of Wanganui (Mr. Cohen), that he did illtreat a certain animal, to wit, a pigeon, by slaughtering it in such a manner as to dubject it to unnecessary pain and suffering. The alleged cruelty took place at the Ftilding Gun Club's match, held on Augi.dt 22nd. Thog. Hazelhurst, Inspector for the Society, said that defendant shot the pigeon, and it flew for about 50 yards and then dropped, and when the boys went to pick -i. up it flew away. The bifd had a broken leg, and kept falling over when it tried to walk.

By Mr. Cohen: He had seen a number of pigeon matches in his time, and had been inspector for the society for the past nine mouths. Did not complain to any of the members that he had seen acts of cruelty on the day of the match, but he thought that he noticed another case of cruelty besides the one in question. Any wounded birds that were caught were immediately killed. He had never done any shooting, but had caught trout, and he admitted to Mr. Cohen that be had tickled them. (Laughter.) Mr. Cohen: "And you call yourself a sport?"

Witness: "Yes, I do." (Renewed laughter.) Hod not tickled any trout since he left the Old Country. The Rev. J. Olphert corroborated the evidence of the inspector regarding the wounded bird. He contended that there was even cruelty before the match commenced, for the way the birds are crowded in the cage. Mr. Coheu: "Do you mean to tell me that it is cruel to truck sheep from Taihape to Wellington?" Witness: "Yes," under certain conditions." Shooting wild pigeons for sport was cruelty, but not so for food. Mr. Cohen: "That is your text?" Witness: "Yes."

Mr. Cohen: 'You don't consider the feelings of the animal if you want it for food.

Witness did not think it was cruel to kill a sheep, as it was necessary for food. Mr. Cohen : " Oh, don't you know that »t is possible to do without mutton, and I would recommend you to try it?" (Laughter.)

Witness thought they could destroy rabbits if they were too numerous, that is* providing it could be done painlessly. Mr. Cohen: "Then, so long as you want the pocket of man to benefit you can inflict pain either by shooting, trapping, or poisoning?" Witness: "It is man you have to consider."

Mr. Cohen : " Everything in the world was made for the benefit of man. The stars were put in the heavens for man. (Laughter.) Witness had shot birds for food; that was when there waa very little other food available. Did not know that the bird had a broken leg when liberated from the trap.

In addressing the Bench, Mr. Cohen said it was the first case of the kind that had ever been made under the Police Offences Act, and not even in England had an information of this kind been laid. The Gun Club had taken every reasonable precaution in conducting their match. If sentiment was allowed to prevail, they must be human against their interests and not with their interestsi The killing of animals for sport was recognised under the Statute laws, and yet they have sentiment introduced to say that it was inhuman, and a deplorable state of affairs. There was a higher law than the Statute laws, which made it legal in war to slaughter men and women, and yet in all these years they had public sentiment that had not purified this deplorable state of war.

The Bench said that ne this was the fir3t case of the kind in New Zealand, they considered that it should have been docided by a Magistrate, and they had decided to reserve their decision. The words " by slaughtering" were then struck out of the information.