A SOCIAL SCANDAL

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1094, 5 April 1911, Page 5

A SOCIAL SCANDAL

TREATMENT OF HORSES. Cruelty to horses is a -perennial theme at meetings of the S.P.C.A., and last everting, as'usual, a number of shockin" cases were reported unon by the inspector (Mr. Seed). Repeated, warnings, this official stated, had proved ineffectual, and he intended for the future to exercise his full powers, in all bad cases cf cruelty, by arresting both horse and man Recently, Mr. Seed reported, he had visited a buck-jnmping show, and, in company with a justice of the peace, examined a numl)er of horses which' were constantly worked in dragging vans. One of the animals had a festered wither and a large raw sore on its hack. This horso ■ was so bad that the J.P. ordered it to be immediately destroyed. Other horses in the company were in low condition, and_ suffering badly from sores. The ponies used in the rincr, however, were in fair condition. The show had since left tb* district. Members concurred in statin? that the condition of affairs disclosed by the inspector's > report amounted to a social ecandal. "I think these huclc-jnmpintr shows altogether are a scandal," remarked one member. Mr. Seed stated that, although, as he was well known, his opportunities of observing what went on were limited, hp was convinced that all kinds of cruel things were done in thes3 shows to the ponies to make them buck. At one show, he nctuallv saw a pony prodded in the side with a sharp instrument. It was aereed tW a letter should l se forwarded to tho Commissioner of Police narrating the circumstances detailed by the inspector, and inviting police intervention. The cruel treatment of horses was hroujfht up in another aspect, when the Inspector rcoorted that upon hnvini a number of drays weighed, fach of which was licensed to carr* two tons, he found tlv>t ooe. drawn bv a single hor«p. wished four tons four cwK sross. nn'l three tons nin" rwt. net. OHier weights (eros«) ver<>: Three tons "isrht cwt.. and two tmi* n'nntoeii ewt. Tho" cases had y*"n laid before th n City Inspector -of Nuisances, who, had promised to take action.