CARTAGE OF CALVES

Waikato Times, Volume 120, Issue 19984, 7 September 1936, Page 8

CARTAGE OF CALVES

CRUELTY ALLEGED. AN OVERLOADED TRUOK. A CARRIER CONVICTED. Three charges of ill-treating bobby calves by conveying them in a. motorlorry jn such a manner as to subject them to unnecessary pain were preferred against Ernest Bogun, a carrier, of Puketaha, who appeared before Mr S. L. Paterson, S.M. in the Hamilton Magistrate's Court to-day. Evidence was given by Enrico Adrian McKinlay, Government stock inspector, that when on duty at Gordonton on July 30 he stopped the defendant, who stated that he had 72 calves on his lorry, which was a “double decker,” the upper deck being smaller than the lower. Witness told defendant that the load was too big and Bogun replied that he was going to transfer 40 of the calves into another lorry. Bogun stated that he had been expecting another lorry to assist him but it stuck in the mud. The lorry he was driving when stopped by witness had broken down and was being towed byA. another. Witness told the defendant that he was carrying far too many calves. “ In Bad Condition.” The inspector added that the calves were in a bad condition. The reasonable space per calf was about two square feet which would allow a ealf that had fallen down to get up again. Witness rang the Horotiu works and asked the inspector there to keep an eye on defendant's lorry when it arrived. On August 3, continued the inspector, he saw defendant arrive at Horotiu with a load of calves and he heard Bogun say “82.” He presumed that was the number he carried but later found it to be 86. “ The calves were in a very bad condition,” said Mr McKinlay, “and one was in such a bad state that it had to be destroyed. There was no drainage from the top deck and the calves below were wet as a result of the lack of drainage.” Referring to the statement he had made regarding the number of calves in the load on July 30, witness, when cross-examined by Mr Strang, who appeared for defendant said he had accepted defendant's word that the number was 72. Mr Strang: Did you count them? —No. 1 did not need to. They were three deep on the floor. The evidence given toy the inspector relating to stopping Bogun bn July 30 was corroborated by George Frederick Hudson, of the staff of the Department of Agriculture, Hamilton. Overloaded. The condition of the calves on arrival at Horotiu was described by Ronald Toulson, Government meat inspector at Horotiu, who considered that Bogun's lorry was considerably overloaded. The calves were in a very bad state from the drainage frqm the top deck. Defendant had brougwLin a load of 86 calves on August Witness considered he .was overloaded to the extent of 20 to 25. Evidence as to the condition of a load of 78 calves brought in bj* defendant on August 6 was given by Mr Arthur Joseph Thompson, a veterinarian, at the 'Horotiu Freezing- WOBks, who was with the previous witness. Witness saw the calves as they left the lorry and considered that a higher degree of care should have been shown. The calves had suffered unnecessarily from this lack of provision. A Fine Imposed. Defendant, in evidence, stated that after the inspector had left him on July 30 he transferred 40 to 45 of the calves to another lorry. He knew of no rule requiring two square feet to be allowed each calf. • “ This is a case of three counts of cruelly and ill-treating calves in such a manner as to subject them to unnecessary pain,” commented the magistrate. “ There is evidence to show that the condition of the animals was very bad. This is a matter which has been causing considerable public interest. People have been agitating for better conditions in carting the calves so I think a fine is necessary as a deterrant.” On each of the three charges defendant was fined £2 10s with costs. No Intention to Cause Pain. Pleading guilty on behalf of George Colin Membry and Giles William Lusty to charges of ill-treating bobby calves at Te L'ku on July 13, Mr H. M. Hammond contended that the breech was only technical. 1 Senior-Sergeant G. H. Lamjfort stated that the defendant Lusty wil a farmer at Te Uku and some of his oalves had been taken to the gate from the cowshed on a konaki. One of the calves fell off and received a broken leg. Lusty had discussed the matte? with the carrier, Membry, and it was decided to convey the calf to Horotiu in the lorry. The offence did not appear to be very serious. Mr Hammond stated that after tha calf fell from the konaki both defendants were in a quandary as to what they should do but decided it would be more humane to take the calf to Horotiu where it would be killed under proper conditions. The time spent in getting a knife to kill the animal would be greater than that taken in conveying it to the freezing works. The Magistrate, Mr S. L. Paterson, on convicting and fining the two defandants 10s with costs 10s, stated that the fact that they had discussed what would be the best thing to do with the calf showed there was no intention to cause the calf any unneces* sary pain.