“Liberty Equalityand Fowls”

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 440, 23 August 1928, Page 16

“Liberty Equality—and Fowls”

Devonport Citizens Stand Up for Rights NEW BY-LAW RAISES STORM “Any by-law limiting the number of fowls that a man may keep in his own backyard is unjust and unwarranted. It is a gesture against citizenship and a menace to the liberty of the subject.” Briefly, this is what a large number of Devonport poultry-keepers think of the Borough Council’s proposed restrictions on the size of flocks. A deputation of over 100 tiouseholders waited on the council last evening to protest against the suggested limit of 20 fowls. Mr. A. Large said that while some people had golf or gardening or preaching as hobbies, his hobby was keeping fowls. The proposed by-law was unjust and unwararnted; the council had no right to interfere with the liberty of the subject. Keeping fowls was not a crime, if they were kept in proper condition. The existing by-law requiring that fowl-runs be 30ft from a house and 10ft from a boundary fence gave the borough ample powers of control. There had been complaints of noise and cackle from hens, but he would say that it was cackling geese that saved the Capitol. He would far, rather, hear the cackle of a hen laying a good, honest egg than the “cackle” that went on sometimes in the council chamber. DRAMATIC NOTE Mr. Forbes, the next speaker, closed his remarks by dramatically tearing up his manuscript and declaring that the council “should tear up its d d bylaw like this.” He claimed that the enforcement of the by-law would drive 7,000 head of poultry out of the borough; would interfere with the sale of grain and the business of shopkeepers, who also bought eggs; and would deprive many people of the part or the whole of their livelihood. He claimed that there were 1,200 people who kept hens in the borough, though ' the records showed only 700, and if the present by-law was enforced rigidly, many of the present poultry "farms" would be closed. Poultry could be kept in tiers; there was no contagious disease of poultry that would affect persons. If care was exercised, there was no menace to the public health in the keeping of fowls. “If the council has any sense it will tear up the by-law; if not, it will hear more about it,” was his parting shot. “LIBERTY LEAGUE” NEEDED Mr. F. Mortimer observed that ho was not worried about the new by-

law, for he had already reduced his flock of fowls. He considered that a liberty league was wanted. As soon as a man got on to a public body he conceived that his first duty was to take away some of the liberties of his fellow citizens. The issue was wholly one of the privileges of citizenship. First, there had been restrictions on the keeping of dogs; now it was hens; next it would be cats. MAYOR’S REPLY Predicating that the council’s prime duty was to maintain the health of the people, the Mayor, Mr. Aldridge, emphatically denied that anyone was seeking to interfere with the liberties of the citizens Someone had mentioned “cackle” in the council chamber. but in the last few minutes he had heard more cackle than he would ordinarily hear in 12 months in the council chamber. A Voice: You are biased. Mr. Aldridge: I am not; I am truthful. He explained that as he had kept poultry he knew the difficulty of keeping a large number of fowls in a sanitary condition. He had lived next door to a man who kept fowls, and often the windows and doors of his house had to be kept closed owing to the smell from the poultry. He could sympathise with both sides. The council had received many complaints about poultry-keeping; it had done its best, but now the Health Department was insisting on a certain course. The council was surprised to know that 500 or more poultry-keep-ers had not obeyed the by-law compelling them to register. He could assure the deputation that its objections would be fully considered. At a general discussion among members of the deputation outside the council chamber, there was free talk of contesting the by-law in the courts. The council is to invite a few representatives from the newly-formed Devonport Poultry Keepers’ Association (which has been in existence for two days and organised the deputation) to meet the council and suggest what they consider reasonable restrictions on poultry-keeping, seeing that the Health Department asks for the prohibition of hen-keeping in some parts of the borough and severe limitations in other parts.