CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 September 1915, Page 3

CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.

ANNUAL MEETING OF THE S.P.C.ii. Tile annual meeting of the New 3Piymouth branch of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was held last night. The' Mayor (Mr. J. E. Wilson), presided. In moving the adoption of the report and t a lance-sheet, which have already been published, the chairman remarked that it was a matter for congratulation that no cases of cruelty to animals 'had to be brought before the Court, for it showed that greater attention was being paid to the work of the Society. The Society were io.'tunatc in baying such an active inspector as Mr. Collins, There were many cases of cruelty in the country, but they were mostly due to want of thought, rather than to intention, and he hoped the Society would be able to send its inspector down the coast in addition to his work in the town. Mr. Wilson said the Society was under a debt of gratitude for the clergymen of New Plymouth for the interest they had taken in the Society. The Rev. A. H. Colvile seconded the adoption of the report. The Society was essentially a citizens' society. It It was a Society which every citizen should take an interest in. He would like to repeat what he said last year in regard to prosecutions. He disagreed with the chairman that it was a matter of congratulation that there had been no prosecutions. This would have been all right if there had been no need for prosecutions, but there had been a need. There had been plenty of complaints laid, hut a reluctance was shown to push the matters to extremes. There was a reluctance on the part of the citizens to take actions against their friends, or to do anyone out of his work. They had laws to prevent cruelty to ani. mals, but there was a difficulty in carrying them out. The Society was not an academic one of amiable sentimentalists. What was needed was more real energy and more "go" in the Society. The inspector should spare no trouble to obtain practicable results for his energy. There was a great deal of cruelty in the backblocks which was due to indifference to suffering. Animal suffering appeared to go for nothing when it affected the pocket. The Society was not under a debt of gratitude to the clergy, for it was the plain duty of the clergy to speak out on such matters. , The report and balance-sheet were then adopted. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The following officers were elected:— Patron, the Hon. 0. Samuel; presjjent, the Mayor; vice-president, Archdeacon Evans; committee, the Rev. A. H. Colvile, Rev. A. B. Chappell, Dr. Leatham, Messrs. W. F. Sandford, W. H. Moyes, W. D. Webster, G. W. Browne, Meadames Colvile, Robertson, Denny-Brown, Miss 1 Matthews and Miss Whitcombe; secretary, Mr. R. C. Hughes; treasurer, Mr. J. Paton; hon. auditor, Mr. P. C. Morton.

general. Mr. Sandford said that there had been a great improvement in the care of animals on the railway and the Societv was now receiving considerable assistance from the railway officials and the police. Votes of thanks were passed to the retiring officers and the Press.'