R.S.P.C.A,

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 53, 26 November 1926, Page 17

R.S.P.C.A,

“UPROAR’’ AT ANNUAL MEETING CABLED REPORT DENIED BY TELEGBAPfI.—rPBESS ASSOCIATION. Christchurch, November 25. By to-dav’s mail the Christchurch "Star” received the following letter from the Hon. Stephen Coleridge:— "Sir,—ln your paper of June 7 you have a description of the annual meeting of the R.S.P.C.A. You allude to the remarks of Lord Banbury (from the chair), who brought into the discussion the King and the Prince of Wales. In my opinion this was quite improper and unfair. No one at the meeting had the slightest intention of attacking the Prince of Wales, for whom evervone has a loyal and even an at--fectionate regard, but if the reformers are never to attempt to put an end to the practice, because some illustrious and admirable persons indulge in it, there is no abuse or questionable practice in all historv that would not have thus secured immunity from criticism. "Finally, your account states that the meeting closed in uproar. This is an entire invention. Nothing of the kind occurred. On the contrary, at the conclusion of the debate, I myself proposed a vote of thanks to the chairman, and the meeting closed in the most friendlv manner. I think it is to be regretted that the mischievous invention of an uproar that never occurred should be spread about New Zealand. The report to which the letter refers was a Press Association cablegram from London, published in New Zealand papers, reporting a meeting at which it was stated that a motion by .the Hon. Stephen Coleridge was carried regretting that the society had refused Mrs. Sarah Grove Grady’s legacy of £lO,OOO offered “on condition that the chairman and members of committees shall be and always have been antivivissectionists and opposed to sports involving the pursuit or death , of stag, deer, fox, hare, rabbit, or any byd, fish, or anv other animal, and shall means to abolish such sports.” (Owing to the conditions attached to the bequest the society decided it could not accept the legacy.) Mr. Coleridge had also declared that hunting was distinctly cruel. Lord Banbury said that the terms of the legacv rendered its acceptance impossible. They must get rid of the King, who was the society’s patron, and the Prince Of Wales, who was the president, in order to accept the legacv, as the King was fond of shooting and the Prince was an ardent huntsman. From a newspaper article accompanying Mr. Coleridge’s letter, to the “Star,” it appears that the motion was lost by five votes, and there was no disorder Or uproar at the meeting.