COCK-FIGHTING

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 104, 19 May 1937, Page 15

COCK-FIGHTING

rOwn Corresnondent-

R.S.P.C.A- Campaign In England TLANES TO BE USED

— ■ Bv Air Maill

LONDON, April 20. Organisers of cock-fighting in the north of England profess to be more amused than alarmed by the decision of the Eoyal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to launch a nation-wide campaign to stamp out the ' ' sport." Those who are planning this. Easter 's "mains," as cock-fighting meetings are called, are laughing at the idea. 'The E.S.P.C.A. are talking of using aeroplanes and motor-cars and increasing the present rewara o± £100 for information leading to a conviction, but they will never kill cockfighting in the North," said a man who has been present at many a cockingmain to-day. "The odds agaiust even a bigger reward being claimed are heavy owing to the difficulty of finding t «common inf ormer. ' "In no other sport allowed or vetoed, is there such freemasonry or instinctive sympathy," the man went on. ''Conspiraey iuakes equals of all classes. Collier, farm hand and wealthy. sportsmen rub shoulders at these teecret meetings, for cock-fighting is the most democratic of all the bloodsports. "No Budget secrot is beftter kept than arrangements for these ' hushhush' contests. Eollowers of cockfighting don't 'split.' They'd be ostracised, and perhaps ttomething wor^o, and to the real lover of the sport, £100 or more wouldn't be wortli. it. "You can taka it from me that organisers of cock-fights will not lose uny sleep because of tlie threat of the B.S.P.C.A. to use aeroplanes to spot the venues of mains. Why, promoters were the first to realise the value of airvraft in the pursuit of their own activities. "Eor a year or two now gamecocks have been brought over by aeroplane from Spain, where cock-fighting i's nearly as famo.us as bull-fighting ,and landed at some Temote spot on the Yorkshire moors. "