CORRESPONDENCE. A PLEA FOR THE ANIMALS.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 October 1915, Page 6

CORRESPONDENCE.

A PLEA FOR THE ANIMALS.

To the Editor. Sir, —In your issue of Saturday under the above heading you publish a 'sermon preached by the Rev. A. H. Colvile, M.A., from which the following paragraph as extracted: —"The religious conscience was so dead that when the request was first made to form a branch of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Rome the iPope refused, on the ground that animals were not Christians; and that such an association could not be sanctioned by the Holy See, being based on the theological error that a Christian owed any duty to animals at all." This statement is characterised, so far as the reasons for the Pope's action are concerned, by a looseness of expression of which it is safe to say no Pope Would be guilty, and it would bo interesting to know on what authority Mr. Colvile .relies for its authenticity. It will be noticed that two reasons are given for the refusal to sanction the association referred to, the first being that animals are not Christians, and the second that the association was based on the theological error that a Christian owed any duty to animals. With regard to the first all that need be said is that the Pope, in speaking of animals, would not be likely to express himself in the terms mentioned, the suggestion that an animal could be either a Christian or a Pagan being simply absurd, and it is less likely still that he would commit himself to a statement which seems to imply that the exercise of our charity is to be limited to Christians, and. that Jews, Mohammedans and Pagans are outside the pale of Christian charity. As to the second ground for refusing sanction which Mr. Colvile develops with so much declamation on the supposition, apparently, tnat if affords conclusive evidence of a. dead religious conscience, permit me to point out that in view of the statement of Catholic doctrine which I shaJl quote it is difficult to believe that the whole story is not a faked one, though used by Mr. Colvile in perfectly good faith. I quote as follows from a Catholic authority on the subject of cruelty to animals:—"Catholic doctrine, though it does not concede rights to the brute creation, denounces cruelty to animals as vigorously and as logically as do those moralists who make our duty in this respect the correlative of a right in the animals. In order to establish a binding obligation to avoid the wanton infliction of pain on the brutes it is not necessary to acknowledge any right inherent in them. Our duty in this respect is pari of our duty towards God." ■ln the same connection Cardinal Manning expresses himself as follows:—"It is perfectly true that obligations and duties are between moral persons, and therefore the lower animals are not susceptible of the moral obligations which we owe to one another; but we owe a sevenfold obligation to the Creator of those animals. Our obligation and moral duty is to Him who made them; and if we wish to know the limit and the broad outline of our obligations, I say at o-mae it is His nature and His perfection, and \among these perfections one is, most profoundly, that of eternal mercy. And, therefore, although a poor mule or a poor horse is not indeed a moral person, yet the Lord and Maker of the mule is the highest Law-giver, and His nature is a law unto Himself. And in giving a dominion otct His creatures to man. He gave it subject to the condition that it should be used in conformity to His perfections which is His ov/n law, and therefore our law." Having regard to these statements of the Catholic position

it fallows that a Society for the 'Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is not necessarily based cm theological error. If, therefore, the Pope refused authorisation trf-an association the inference is that it was on grounds peculiar to the constitution of that particular association. —f am, etc.,

A LAYMAN. V THE NATIONAL PERIL. To the Editor. Sir, —If it were not for tiie real gravity of the times, it would be humorous, almost Gilbertian, to read the criticisms passed upon "Subscriber's" letter re the slacker. Surely everyone should have seen its purport as plain as the proverbial pikestaff. There is an American proverb about seeing a hole in a lad,der. Anyhow, the letter was quite ftlear as to its meaning. When, according to the leading statesmen of the British Cabinet some few weeks ago, the next three or four months would be fraught with events of the gravest and most anxious moment for the Empire, it is time there was some waking up. We hear sometimes of Britain being asleep. If the colonies were only half as wide■.awake to the peril! The letter of "Subscriber" was really calling the attention of the careless and indifferent member of the community—the man in the street. There is no doubt of the heroes who have gone and who are going, but what of those who remain behind? Is the Empire's call of no eonsequence? The call of the women and children, the call of martyred Belgium, the call of blighted France, and the desolation of Poland. What will be the fate of the women a.nd children of New Zealand should the Ham appear at our gate? The young men of Britain aro responding to the <all nobly, else why Kitchener's millions? There is no doubt whatever as to there being a great deal of the indifference which is io eausticly worded by "Subscriber," and it is difficult to see how some of your readers seem to miss the point. [do not wish to further trespass on your spacn, but one word anent the appliance of a letter in your paper this morning signed "Ikirat." Are those the sentiments of manhood? Not. so, let us hope. There are not many of that degreecontent to remain and let the ot'.er follow go, the married man as w<M'.—V ii,\ etc., ANOTHER P,l'."Tlt. New Plymouth, 4/10/15.

To the Editor. Sir, —''Ikirat's'* ideas regarding the middle-aged, married men, eomfortablvoft' slackers, I cannot agree with. It ■would, on economic grounds, be a disaster for New Zealand to enlist the middle-aged, paterfamilias class until such time as the big army of single, fit men are used up. A moment's reflection will show tin's. Tn the case of a single man the country lias in case of his death only his immediate dependents , (about one man in teii would be so situated), but with the. married man, his wife and children, no matter how many there may be. would require State assistance for a long time. The drain might conceivably become too great for the State's resources. But it may be that national necessities miglit necessitate tailing on the married class. If so, the State would have to face the position, even if it meant future national .hardships, or even bankrutpcy. As for the married men, they would, I have no doubt, readily respond to the call. At present the time for demanding their services has not arrived. It will arrive

when the thousands of able-bodied men still in evidence in every town and district are absorbed. I join issue with you, Sir, in your advocacy of some form of compulsory training for all classes between 18 ajid 45, so as to prepare our manhood for the position that may arise. For two nights and one afternoon a week every able-bodied man should be drilling and learning to shoot. This would involve no inconvenience or dislocation of our industrial, commercial or farming operations, at any rate, not to any harmful extent, and it would be time very profitably spent from a physical and disciplinarian point of view, as well as preparing for "the day" when the services of the men would be needed at the front Had your advice been taken at the beginning of the war, when you put the case for compulsory training of our manhood so forcibly and convincingly, our boys need only have put in half the time they are required to now, whilst the whole of tile men would in another six months' time been practically ready to take the field. It is not too late now, for the end of the war is not in sight, and the entrance of Bulgaria may prolong the agony for another two years. It is certain that New Zealand'cannot keep up the supply of men asked for by the Homo Government for another year without compulsion. The fairest way, as you put it, is to make drafts Srom the country's manhood, commencing with the single men. Then it will be time enough for the married man to go. But the great point is, prepare. The Government should take early action, and see that we are all put into training forthwith.—l am, etc., PATERFAMILIAS. PUNIHO ROAD MATTERS. To tho Editor.

Sir, —In Saturday's paper appears a letter signed "San Toy." I think that if "Sail Toy" had been British he would have signed his name, but evidently he is ashamed of his name. However, if "San Toy" is' prepared to come out in the open like a man, and not hide in the dark like a German spy, I am quite prepared to answer his queries,—l am, etc., F. J. COWLING.

Okato, October 4. RAFFLES FOR (PATRIOTIC FUNDS. (To the Editor.) Sir, —Kindly allow me a little space to reply to a letter appearing in your issue of this morning, over the name of "L. K. Jackson, Opunake," in order to put him wise as to the facts. The statement which appeared in the press that 9000 tickets had been sold in the Overland motor-car raffle was quite wrong. The fast was that 9000 tickets had been printed and distributed for sale, but 9000 tickets were certainly not sold, some of the hooks being returned without a single ticket having been disposed of, and others only for varying amounts, as the Committee drawn from the audience who conducted the drawing under the supervision of his Worship the Mayor, can testify. For the information of Mr, Jackson and the public generally, I may say that our books will be audited by the Chief Government Auditor in this district, and in due course a proper statement published; when I am sure Mr. Jackson will be convinced that our raffle has been conducted on businesslike lines. We will show a big profit on a comparatively small outlay, and that, I take it, is good business.—l am, etc.,

L. L. SMITH, Hon. Sec., Civil Servants' Committee. New Plymouth, Oct. 5, 1915.