The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-03-06
NEED OF HUMANE SOCIETY
MRS. CRAFT WRITES OF EFFORTS
TO PROTECT ANIMALS.
A Large Field in Honolulu for the
Noble Work. History of Cruelty to
Horses and Number of Arrests.

Horses and Number of Arrests.
This will be the last issue of the
Humane Educator. 1t is the twelfth
number, completing a year. Though
the paper ana the movement, 1t repre-
sents nave been well supported in some
quarters, there is not the general pup
lie cooperation which it Is felt should
be given to such an enterprise. The
work that falls to the duty of a HUI
name Society in Honolulu is no light
burden, and the writer after some ten
years efforts which it is her pleasure
to know have saved many dumb
brute from ill-treatment, and which, 1t
is hoped, have also helped to spread
in our community the lessons of kind
ness in dealing with animals, intends
now to lay aside the work and leave
it to other hands.
A few words as to the situation in
Honolulu will not be amiss at this
time.
Honolulu has no Society for the Pre-
Vention of Cruelty to Animals. In this
respect it is far behind other American
cities of it's size. While they have well
supported organizations of large mem
bership, which take the lead in looking
after the enforcement of laws regard
ing the treatment of animals, Homo
lulu has left the task to a few willing
individuals, who have spent time,
energy and money for years past in the
effort to see that the laws of CiviliZa-
ton with regard to dumb brutes were
properly enforced. A special officer
has been kept at work on a salary, paid
by the embryo society He has had
no money from the public treasury,
and his salary has come out of a very
few pockets. 1t remains to be seen
whether the public of Honolulu will be-
stir themselves now that those who
have carried on the work are with
drawing, and see that an officer is kept
on duty and properly supported.
Argument as to the need of a society
is superfiuous. We need only to refer
to the annual report of our so-called
society for 1900. 1t shows no less than
$40 cases of ill-treatment of animals
looked into by the officer employed dur
ing the year. The officer found 2S5
horses and mules in harness that were
unfit for work and were being cruelty
driven; in 144 cases he prevented the
overlooking of vehicles, or over driving
of the helpless animals attached to
them, and in 81 cases he found is nee
essary to kill animals to put them out
of misery for which their owners had
no sympathy.
These figures should rouse some Of
our community to action. How many
of us would stand by and see a help
, less brute suffer at the hands of an
inhuman owner and not lift a finger
to interfere? Instructive horror of
cruelty of all kinds Is almost universal
in civilized mankind, and ninety mine
men out of every hundred are ready
to come forward with indignant remon-
STRANGE, or even angry interference,
when they see an unreSiSting animal
put to needless or excessive pain. Yet
what is the difference between passive
ly Struggling the shoulders and passing
by when a useless lash draws blood on
the TANKS of a horse to urge it to a
task it cannot perform-perhaps, be-
cause all the weight of it's load drags
against raw flesh on a sore shoulder
and calmly ignoring the known facts
because they are not presented to actu-
al vision? The figures are before the
public: There were $40 cases of cruelty
to animals in Honolulu during 1900;
there will be approximately S49 cases
of cruelty to animals in 1901. We can
predict this just as the statistician can
predict for any year the number of
births and deaths, the number of MUIR
ders and suicides in the country-one
year is much like another. Shall the
ES49 dumb brutes that will be tortured
in Honolulu this year have no one to
make for them the protest they cannot
make for themselves?
OF course there are the police to look
after the matter. But it is no refiec-
ton upon the police of Honolulu to say
that a special officer, employed and
backed by a Humane Society, is need
cd In no city is the ordinary police
force to be relied upon to do the work
of u Humane Society, a fact which is
sufficiently proved by the existence of
so many such societies. The local po-
|
our special officer. But in Honolulu,
as in other cities, the ordinary police
man does not interfere with cruelty
cases except in rare instances. He is
a patrolman keeping the peace and
making arrests only when he sees flag
rant violations of law.
There is field for noble work On the
lines suggested, not only in Honolulu,
but all over the Islands, and not mere :
! ly for lovers of animals-there is an
educational side to the question which
is of vast Importance. 1t has before
been stated in these columns that hui
name education lowers criminal rec
crds This is a truism that needs no
repetition. 1t is as evident as that one
crime leads to another-that tendencies
Of disposition, like muscles, grow hard
er and stronger through exercise. There
| is story, told in every nursery, that
| the Emperor Nero, as a boy, loved to
amuse himself by killing flies. Taking
the story as an Illustration, perhaps IL
he had been turned to other amuse-
merits. the murder-loving side of his
nature would have developed less.
To friends and supporters, the HUI
name Educator gives thanks It re-
peats its thanks to the high sheriff
and the police department for their
| assistance, and earnestly hopes they
will soon have a full-fedged Society
for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
| to support in the same way
- MRS. HELEN w. CRAFT.
Clayton, New Mexico.