CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 910, 1 September 1910, Page 2

CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.

. CONFERENCE OV PREVENTION ' : . A : :•■ SOCIETIES. . -':v.'■]•""■■• ... IMPRISONMENT J?OR CRUELTY. ; -'-A-conference of the delegates from tne.A Societies for the Prevention, of ■•Cruelty • ::.. to Animals throughont the Dominion was ? held in tho Chamber of Commerce yce- ■ terday." /The.following delegates were."pre--f. :. sent:—Gisborne, :Messrs;.H.;Cook: and Q.t, E. Gahvay; 'Wellington, /Messrs. J7 '■'. S. •- Jamieson and F. Seed; Nelson,'l[r;'.C,-B.ir ' ■Molesworth; Christclmrch, Messrs.,. W , .,^ -1 , .' Zouoh and T. • Spillcr; Timaru, Mr. ; W.' H. Zouch; Dunedin, the Rev. A. T.Clio'd- ■ ' pwskij.'Palmerston- Northj Mr.. H.Han-i ■: kins. Hankins was elected chair- ■}-■. man. . /.• '■ '... .'. ■;.■■■.• ' ; ■;:"" ■'?■ ■■ '■ ~ Copies of a'.Bill cntitled'-TheVPrieven-/; . tion of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1908," .j: was. placed before the delegates for'ilis-l'' cussion. The. Bill had been drafted by'. : .' the Canterbury Society. • : : ' « ■;, The chairman said ;that he did'Vnoi-" : ■ agre« altogether: with'the.,clause provid-'-ing that all inspectors should', wear a!'■',•■'■ uniform or a-badge; . That wrald-We V/V father hard on the.smaller societies,^ho, ,, ..-' could.not afford to keep a man'emp%ed. : ' ■ :i ' solely for , the purpose-pf- ■ detecting.:acte':;< : v of cruelty to animals.' . ....: '':.....:'L; |. .' • The Dunedin delegate had- .been "in...'■•■,'■ oppose the clause. They: : ar- r ,^ : - gued -that .the inspector; should-not' Jay '■'■'.■'- himself :out to bo recognised. '">-i- : ''.£; .'.":'•.■ _ Speaking.:of the Bill..the chairmansaioV : -:'- ■it would have a better'chance of ..going •V.'i. through this.session/.if a member of the ?"'. Cabinet .could be induced to take it rip. -:: Intoomariy cases private Bills .were not taken very seriously by the House.': : - ■' ; Rev" A'.' T. Chodowski said that ' when. the. Bill: was last-before the Housed, it was; laughed, at,;,and its. introducer, ';••- Mr. Xaurehson, had few sympathisers. • !: ' f •He suggested..that..they-s!i6nld wait /upon- .'v the Government, : make ,' the-suggestions / they' would Jike, to see embodied' in. the - : Bill, and allow: the Government..to intro- : .V" measure,,. As at' present- drafted ■->: the Bill had no/chance of being placed , - on the. Stahite Book, ( and it should , "be.dropped : -altogetlierr -.'he "moved = - : 'iT-n^'-v 10 conferenc eiW r _no!.idiscuss: the -vi' Bill, but make suggestions '. for. :better - v " • methods: of. prevention. of -.-cruelty.'to ani- 4 ■'■ :mals,- the. results of /such/to be submit-/"--ted to the Government.. '.''.'. :":.- -.•':, »,".■'■ ;O'- > Mr. J.: S.; Jamieson .advocatea that be- ■-' : S re , s , ebin e ••■the-.-Mmisteivtheipresent-Bin'-''/" should be circulated amongst"the- , socie- • • ' ties._of New. Zealand;:for their- opinions.' "".' On being, put,;' Mr.. Chodowski's;motion ' '■' was carried.;'/' 7v :'/ •.'■■• : \i : r-^- ; -■■•■•• '_ (The ■; conference, ■■ however,';. discussed' 'the ; : Bill clause by..:cla,u£e. .... One.:;;'of;:the -'. amendments,; suggested was .'that any , ■Mγ- ■' son who had ;been.- convfcted'':bT.'cr'uelty' >; -"' to animals.fbur. times'.'should /be'liablo' ■ ■■ to soc months'- imprisonment, ■ and-//that■'.'•■ ■'• any -licensed' 'driver, 1 -when/ so 'cdnvicted,' • should.be. debaried.from' tjie-coii- -' • .trol of animals;' :■ J : . .' -.:■';;;.^:..i .;■. .:. jit was decided to strike out/ciauseriS/i , i which provides' -'.that-v' an■; person- .. shall'have the option'of haying, his-case-' ■ ■'■: heard;summarily or before, a iury.-^Mr.C'•'•■■'' iZouch instanced the case of a "person-' Who elected-to .be tried by a-jury.'.which/ let him off.;.-:' 'That trial, cost'the Govern--';: mentiE6o. i--V ■■^','V/ ; ''■■ ■'<■'■ ?-? :] '' V"'V -' ■ Zouch ,'nioved,! and if was '-"passed: V :; ' "That the . Government be,■ asked to, *al-;.' locatethe fines/received' in. Court cases,;-. where.- • the taction ;' of v- the .'■'. society ■/:isVup- S : . heldv.to- the Hprosecuting society.". ■:-•,The" ■- only /dissenting society to; this :propbsal J '■ '?•■ was'Dunedin; r . '~-■. '■ r_ -...'..r - > '-.'■■ After/- the. 'conference rose, 1 -/the^secre-' tary • (Mr.'; Carroll;; : junr.); was. infoririedv. 'i that-. the '-Minister : for.;■ Justice; would rbe ;i ■■>. prepared,,to,rec'eiye;,,a;..depiitation ■from/, '■' the conference at .10.15 a.m./ to-day. ; The i : v / .subjects '.to; be. brought; :.iin'de'r"' the i-no-i. r', ■ tice of the Minister. 1 are the; Bill, methods • ■V, of ; slaughtering;•; an'f| - allocation"of, fines.: ; . V;