BOBBY CALF ILL-TREATMENT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 12, 29 September 1944, Page 4

BOBBY CALF ILL-TREATMENT

Sir, —In last Friday's BEACON an article appeared dealing with an alleged case of cruelty to bobby calves>; a statement which on investigation proves to have been totally unfounded. It is unfortunate that your informant did not take steps; to have the circumstancial evidence fully investigated before communicating his allegations to you. It is unfortunate also that before giving publicity to the alleged atrocities, you yourself did not make certain j of the accuracy of the statements. While accepting it as beyond, question that your article was published with the best possible motives, and appreciating your readiness at all times to ensure the creation of a fair and honest finding in matters of public interest. I would say that the allegations mhde are of so serious and revolting a nature as to cause concern not only to dairy farmers but to the community as a I whole, and. they readily create repercussions;. From observations" since made by some of those particularly concerned in company with Mr Thompson, the. Dairy Company's veterinarian one can understand how easily your informant may have been misled by the appearance of a navel injury. In view of the circumstances however I think it would have been only reasonable for some member of the Pool Committee to have been acquainted yith the position before publicity was given to the case. This was not done. It was not until some hours after the calf train had been despatched that your informant acquainted Mr Wilson with j what had taken place. This information was identical with that publi&hed by you, except that iti specifically referred to one. calf and not to several. On receipt of the information Mr Wilson immediately telephoned the Pool's Auckland stating what he had heard } and arranged that an inspection be made of the calves on arrival at Westfield. A thorough inspection followed in which a duly authorised Government official took part with the result that not only was there no dead or dying, or apparently suffering calves in the truck in which the alleged victim was said to have been placed, but the whole consignment was examined with a like result. I shall be glad if you will publish the foregoing for the' purpose, of. erasing if possible the inimitable feeling of anxiety and horror which publication of your article must have occasioned. Yours etc.,, ANDREW McLEAN, Secretary, Rangitaiki Bobby Calf Pool. (Whilst welcoming the above let* ter if it assists in relieving the sordid picture which was portrayed to us we feel that in fairness to this paper it is necessary to relate that our .information came from a source which we have no reason to suspect, even now, of fabrication or a mistaken impression. It is hard to imagine that an official, handling thousands of these animals almost daily over the past few months and backed by independent could be under a misapprehension, about so serious an allegation of. brutal ill-treatment. Ed.)