The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-04-16

Active stems Of the Humane Society
of Washington Ia CuFrru1 Alleged
Abuses of stock and CattIe-Hcavy
Penalties for Offences Suggested.
Svec.aI attention is being given by the
Humane Society Of Washington to The wei
fare Of the horse During the last SEES
sion Of Congress the officers We're very
active in their efforts to obtain IeEisIa-
ton. national In its scoDe- TO relieve
abuses To the equine family, especially
in the West The legislation which was
most desired sought TO benefit cattle as
well as horses.
Thousands of animals are shipped annu-
ally from the raEses III the Rocky Noun
tains. on The Western Slope, from Texas
from Wyoming, from Colorado western
Kansas. and Nebraska These beasts.
crowded into cattle cars sometimes so
damned that they almost tread upon each
other are joIted over hundreds of miles
81 railroads 10 the markets or the feed
ing grounds in the Middle West
The Humane Society has seen the need
of legislation. TO properly regulate the
TRANSFORMATION Of the animals. and its ef-
forts have been directed toward some
regulations regarding the length of time
which cattle can be allowed TO remain IN
The cars without being fed and watered
The haI-ing of the cars. and the liberation
Of the animals for food and water is eX-
penstve and causes delay. Consequently
anv proocsition 10 force the cattle or stock
shippers 20 feed ard water their animals
within specified limits of time, would nat
uraFy be fought by the cattle and stock
Interests which are exceedingly strong
and rich in the West
The work OF those interested in the com
fort of cattle resulted in the passage f
f-av ir5Ta al GhlBm4nfE
mails should be halted and the stock Wat
cred and fed at least once IN every twenty
eight hours Shippers. opposing mis- de
sired 10 substitute a law allowing horses
or cattle TO be kept in the cars forty hours
without being given food or dr1nk-
The special problem in relation to horses
which the society Is attacking in the DIS
trict concerns the sale OF WORKOUT ana
bTOkeQ-dUWn animals, usually oou5ht pF
huCksters and the cheaper order OF sN-
UresSmeu- An immense amount OF tr5Ilc
in this kind of hpTSefeSh Is CONNECTED
annually and il is in certain Way ilIesa'-
over the sale Of horses II the regular oat-
zaars the Humane Society is able 10 keep
quite q close watch. but these poor bTok-
en-down animals are sold by brokers' on
The curb. and in the vacant lots Inc
horses are traded of for q piece OF iulIli-
ture- or sold for Just q few dollars rdTciS
over $ and frequently below 81 Ihey are
the -CaSt-OtfS OF the farms ana TUCK
gardens Of Maryland and Virginia HdV-
ing gone beyond the stage where they can
draw piow they would be consigned 10
pettifOgging brokers who fT&Eel around
making trades for just such beasts bring
ing them TO Washington and Sc Eng I! en-
for the purposes referred TO.
The animals are usually IL miserable
state when they arrive buT are not in
condition that requires them to be SheJ
The law STIMULATES that two reputable
persons and the humane agent Slali Ger
tifv TO the fact that = horse Is SICK or IN
lured before il Is to be killed and this IS
a difficult requirement to meet It = pos
sibie f.: the humane agent to arrest ana
caused TO he fined the men who drive the
animals. on a simple charge OF cruelty
but beyond making an example Of ana
furnishing one or two offenders occasion
ally. no good IS done The man sui owns
the horse, and though brought into court
and fined. upon his release usually goes to
search a purchaser for his miserable piece
of hOTSefleSh- This he Is. IS rule dD5e
TO obtain. if the consideration IS made
low enough and though the second pur-
chaser may be caught and lined, the sit
uation of the poor animal Is not i'm
proved
The prices paid for these horses are so
small that the purchasers rs q rule 90
not care how soon the beast IS driven TO
death. and in many cases the animal IS
are bought with the intention of getting
few days work out Of them and then
sending them TO the "boHeyaFd-
1t Is the low price at which the sale is
made that creates the abuse II the
horses were more expensive better care
would be taken of them The Humane
Society intends to attack the evil by ad-
vocatfng a law which viii make il Illegal
for a horse 10 be sold under certain
price Such a law has been advocated IN
other cities-in Baltimore, for example,
where the same conditions exist and It
is thought that II il can be enforced and
proves right in law, 1t VIII bring about
the result desired
The docking Of horses has always been
a point Of attack, and something has al
ready been done TO abate this nuisance,
but not enough has been accomplished To
be really effective The law III force is
imperative because II provides that there
can be no conviction except upon teStl-
mOnT Of someone who has really seen the
operation performed Docking. Of horses
is carried on quite extensively in Wash
ington. il Is claimed because 1t can easily
be done secretly, in the night time. If
persons residing in J" Washington desire 70
have their horses locked II is easy enough
for them 10 send the animals into Mary
land or across TO Virginia and have II
done The Humane Society intends TO
champion something far mere stringent
than the present laws
Docking laws are in existence in other
parts Of the United States and have prov
ed effective, notably in Colorado The
Colorado law makes II an offence punish
able with fine or Imprisonment for any
one to be seen driving a locked horse
The penalty for a second offence Is very
heavy. It is expected that law similar
IN its provisions will be advocated for the
District AS an argument against dock
ing, which il is said VIII have great
weight with the fashionable hoTsemen
the Humane Society officers call attention
10 the fact that King Edward Of England
has declared himself opposed T. the prac-
Jice.
The poor horse that has been robbed o1
his long coat in the midst OF winter anC
stands shivering In the streets is also tC
be the object OF attention from The HUI
name Society Horses Of the rich, COY
cred with blankets. can stand the mid
winter clipping. bat those Of the poor
people clipped because II is the fashion
have 10 suCh protection. and they suffer
The custom Of clipping horses in mid
winter Is declared by the Humane Society
officials TO he most harmful to the ami
mails and 10 be OF benefit 70 no one eN-
Cept TO the groOms. who advise il be,
cause it saves them work
The Humane Society intends TO adEO.
cate legislation N the next Congress to
correct these abuses, though there has
been no decision as TO the exact forms ot
the laws desired II IS possible some.
thing viii be done in relation TO the de.
hOrning Of cattle. which is sometime.
practiced on farms IN the District and il
Maryland.
End of a SILK Mil Strike.
sHA8fOKIN, pa, April 15.-The Shame
kiA silk mill, which had been idle since
February Il owing TO lockout because
the 800 girls insisted on the recognition