COURSING & CRUELTY. _o

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1793, 4 July 1913, Page 7

COURSING & CRUELTY.

TO BE TESTED IN THE COUKTS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.)' ' Dunedln, July 3. The oommittce of tho Society for tho Prevention -of Cruelty to Animals held a speoial meeting; this afternoon to consider tho question of whether the coursing of hares was a cruel sport. 'Mr. G. Fcnwick presided, and .then? were ten'other members present. Mr. Jeans moved: "That in ths> opinion of the committee the coursing of hares in enclosures is a cruel sport, and that steps be taken by tho committee to test the matter by the prosecution of thoso who engage in the practice." Mr. Jeans said that the caso was not very pronounced, but the sport had a debasing effect on tho populace. The motion was seconded by Mis 9 Porteous. Mr. Livingston said that the agony endured by the hare while being chased must be something fearful. This viow was endorsed by the Kcv. Mr. Diamond. Mr. Mills said that ho wa9 not in favour of tho motion. What seemed to be wrong was that tho hares were not properly trained .to (jet to tho escapes. Tho hares' should be liberated from a.run instead of from boxes. Mr. Snowball said- that 110 did not see that a hare being cliascd by dogs, with a good chance of escapo over 250 yards, was cruel, lie did not think that this was a ca.=e for taking action. In n letter, the' Rev. W. Saunders denounced coursing as lounging towards a game which was to tho onlookers. The chairman expressed the opinion that coursing had very littlo to -ecommend it, and lie thought that it would die ' a natural death. The cruelty lay in the hare's race for life. It seemed to him that, other forms of sport were equally reprehensible, such as angling, and shooting forest birds or tame pigeons. JIo did not think that the society would be justified in taking action, regarding coursing, but it was a question whether they should not consider the question of intervention in reaard to pigeon matches. The motion was carried by six votes to four. The chairman remarked that the Foeietv could tali's action at its next coursing meeting.