PREVENTION OF CRUELTY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1972, 31 January 1914, Page 8

PREVENTION OF CRUELTY.

YEAR'S OPERATIONS, ■ The twentieth annual report of the Society for tho Prevention of , Cruelty to Animals, to bo presented at the ftnnualmoeting.of the society on Tuesday, rung as folki\V3;— "The work of the lastttfelve months has demonstrated the need for tho existence of tho society and tho growing interest by the general public in its operations. There has been jm decrease in tho number of cases requiring the inspector's attention. This is in great part <luo to the fact that the pubiic appears more ready than hitherto in. reporting to the society cases that come under its notice, four hundred and fifteen cases wore dealt with by the. .inspector during the year, Of these, 25 ivero taken to'.court. At the itistaaco of this society.a conference of delegates from tho various New Zealand societies jvas held in May last, when'tho follow-' ing were represented:—-Canterbury, QfcagOj South Canterbury, Tarotiaki, Palmerston North, Gisborne,- : Hawke's Bay, and Wellington. Seme valuable work was done, and the , .formation <jf a Kβ*' Zealand , Society approved. In this connection a. co'ntnutte'o ft as; set up to dr&ft a constitution for sfibijiission. -to the various societies. Among the most i-esed cases of cruelty aro tho. defective eystem of carriage and transhipping of cattle, and the overloading.of carts. The latter offence is still far too frequent, but is difficult- to deal with, in tho'face of tho existing municipal laws. In tho matter of cattle, investigation of methods in operation elsewhere-, has been made,, and tho information will bo referred to tlve incoming committee. The' shipping of poultry has also received much, attention during the yosr, and' steps have /been taken which should minimise- the cases of cruelty under this head,. Some better provision for tho. oarriago of dogs on the railway is aecossary, Tiiis matter has received the attentioih of the society, but in this, as in various other directions, the. 'society finds its powers too restricted/ Recently the attention, of' the society was <llrrooted to cruelty in tho practice of' trapping opossums in- tho Wellington district, and steps have been taken to have the matter remedied. News was received recently of tho death of "an old worker for the Wellington Society, namely, Mrs. G. J s Allen. The committee;has forwarded to Mr. Allen a resolution appreciative tof tho valuable work performed hero by deceased in tho. early years tti this society's existence. Thanks are again duo to tho society's honorary ■solicitors, to the- police, to tho : New Zealand Railway Department, and 'to tho Karori Borough Council, for free passes granted to the' society's inspector, also to Mr. Greiifell, ..fpr ; ..the;.-.«,s<j; of his stable in the cause, of. th.o society. Thanks are duo to Mies Haydon. and thoso who assisted her for the good work done in raising .'£4 l, 18s, for the society ■by means of a bazaar and salo of work.' At tho close, of the sooioty/s. year' tho secretary resigned, ahd. bis place'-'has, been filled by tho appointment of Mr. A. M, Anderson. The roport would not be complete without appreciative reference to tho assiduous work performed by the society's inspector, Mr. Seed." . 'Tho balance-sheet of tho society shows a credit balance of £61 7s. Sd. Tho subscriptions during the. year amounted to £219 9s. 6d, Tho society has £16 worth of assets.