ARMY HORSE SALES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 229, 21 June 1919, Page 2

ARMY HORSE SALES

FINE RESULTS OF GOOD WORK

NO HORSES FOR THE GERMANS

(From' 'the "Morning" Post.'")

■ It tvas a commonplace of German criticism of Great Britain's military position'before 1911 that tho possibilities of a big quickly-trained British Army were negligible,-because, whilst rank and file might be raised quickly enough, three tilings could not bo improvised ill' a hurry: knowledge of staff work, or gunnery, and of horse-master}-. The German now knows that he was wrong, and in no particular- was he more wrong than' in regard~to horse-mastery. It is now.admitted over, all the; Continent of Europe that horse-mastery in the '.'improvised" .British' Ai-my,.reached the highest stan-dard-of the campaign. In thisniatter the horse markets of Europe are speaking, now with 110 uncertain, voice. Tlia ■ British Army is disposing :of its superfluous. horses, aiid everybody'is rushing ' to buy them. Prices for them have torch-ed-a'truly extraordinary level, and. are still rising.--.llie unhappy-.taxpayer inlid • all his,burdens can'see a golden stream -flowing iiito .the'.Treasury, 'because his • Army -wns a humane, conscientious,, and skilful horsemaster.. The' military advantage to -transport through.keeping ' the Army's animals fit and well is so'obvious that it need not be dwelt upon. The advantage to the moral of the men'is. not so generally appreciated, tout' ,was none te-less. real.,-. It helped to ■ keep- our men in good-heart that the.animate who ■ worked with them and for them were in gpod -heart. aJid- condition. To British men-with their fine, tradition of human-ity-to animals, it would have-been demor'alising. to have seen their brutes hungry and suffering; Now the world markets come forward with-their evidence that the British Army policy of kindness to- its animals-was not only good - for -transport- and good for moral, but also good-for-business. -- - . . Interesting Figures, Up to April l.we have sold out of the Army 252,676 -animals (horiscs and mules), of which 235,715 were sold for Work and 16,961 for meat. The total realised has Been. i£8,493,920, of which -.£8,081,607' was 'realised from the working' animals and i! 412,313 ' for those' animals -jrhich,'" 1»"eaus'e of "old age. or disablement,'it was more merciful to send to the slaughterhouse. In addition a small item of ''.£18,696 has been realised from'-'by-pro-ducts, for our Army administrators, whatever may be thought. to the 'contrary, do study economy, and 'the,.'animal which : falls by' the 1 wayside is usually, put to some use. At'least itS'hide is' saved, iind, if transport -is available, its fat and 1 bones also figure in- a '"salvage" return." ■' ' ■ ' •

''', This money that has come in is mostly foreign nioiiey, too'. It has'been the policy of'the Army not to "profiteer" in the United ' Kingdom; ' Indeed; -within our home borders it-has-been rather to; help the small farmer-with- cheap animai3 than' to .seek to get ths best out 'flf the market.' ■ ■ -

In 'the' United Kingdom 71,385 horses lwve been sold at an average price of .£34 Us. 4d., ' ' ; .

In the United State's 11,877 horses' havs been sold at an average price Of .£2l}. Tn Egypt 1628 hordes'have' been sold at an average price of .£32 18s. lOd.

In Salonika 1751 horses have been sold at an average price of" X 42"155;-" "

In Italy 7936 horses havo been 6old at an average price of '.£75 14sr.. Id. Tn the Mesopotamian ■ theatre of war 2088 horses have been sold at an average price of Xt 7 15s. "4d. . In France 60.830 horses have been'sold at an average price of .£39 4s; 2d. In East Africa 752 horses have been' sold at an average price of .£29 17s. 2d. Prices for mules havo been, on an average; equally as pood, ranging from ',£l7 .15s. lid. in' Great Britain to £34 12s, Sd. in France .(for the same c!as3 lOf animal),' and:'J2s2 12s. lid.:in Italy. -7 Some' Sentimental, Consideration's. Sales havo riot been conducted with a sole, view',to getting the best price' pos- \ sible. On all working animals a high reserve has been placed, with the idea that even in foreign countries which may not haves qo. general a humane feeling to the - dumb creation" the purchaser of a' highpriced animal', will. treat 'it kindly, if only for business reasons. Thoso animals which could not be sold at a high reserve in foreign countries have been sent, to merciful slaughter rather than run the risk of their, ill-treatment as workers. Further,, no torses havo been sold, so far, to Germans, though a profitable market would be possible there. Perhaps this will be modified, in the future after the final peiea has' been signed, /but for. the present it holds good. In sales within the United Kingdom the policy has been to assist the man tho land rather than to extract high prices. 'J.'ho small farmer can go to "Remounts" and, under certain safeguards, acquire a good working horse for £7 10s. a year on the "hire instalment plan." At the end of six years, if the payments are kept up and the horse is treated well, it passes over to the fanner. Another concession designed to help the small settlqr is to offer mules for hiro at ths rate of 3s. per week. . The mule-should prove an ideal animal for the . market gardener and the fruit farmer, and tho 3s. a week mule may be of • some, assistance to solving tho problem of English land, settlement. . .Prejudice' Against the Mule. There is a marked prejudice against the niulo : in Great Britain. People here do not understand ifs virtues as a draught animal. Granted - that tho mule is not suitable 'for heavy draught work, and may plove a serious nuisance on a farm if it cannot be kept within its proper bounds—for a mule has an omnivorous appetite—still' thero is a very wide field of usefulness for this animal in city work, such as bread and milk and parcel carriage and light van work generally; . also as a transport animal for tlie small farmer. Tho mule .eats much less than the horse, has a longer working life, is less liable to disease, needs less attention. Though not so attractive in character as the horse, the mule's rough common sense, which tcaches him to be very careful of himself, is a- positive advantage.' The Remounts Department is getting higher prices for mules than for horses in ■s,ome countries whore the value of the mule is understood;, and it will'bo of distinct benefit if it succeeds in- breaking down. British prejudice against tlia luule. ■