Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-31
FORM AN ASSOCIATION
Owners of Horses Organize for
Protection.
ARE PLANNING A CAMPAIGN
Desire Modification of Laws Govern
ing Humane Society.
FINES SHOULD GO TO DISTRICT
Principal Objection is to the Alleged
Eagerness of Agents to make
Cases.
ARE PLANNING A CAMPAIGN
FINES SHOULD GO TO DISTRICT

large number OF horse owners OF this
city have organized and are planning a
campaign to secure legislation with the
view Of modifying the laws governing the
Humane Society. According to the horse
owners in question it is not their intention
| to drive the society out Of business or in
any way affect the purpose for which 1t was
formed The object of the horsemen is
chiefly to secure the enactment of a law
providing that the fines paid upon convic-
ton Of cruelty to Ahimals shall be turned
over to the District, and not paid to the
Humane Society, as is now the case.
The horse owners declare that it is the
eagerness of the agents of the society to
make cases in order to swell the funds
of the society to which they principally
object Such a motive, 1T is declared,
creates an evil that has resulted in hard
ship, and will continue to do So until rec
titled
Since organizing last week the horse
owners have been sending out notlces ana
apeals to horsemen and enrolling new
members. According to the secretary ana
treasurer, B. F. Edwards of III 18th street
more than 800 members have been admit
ted. each determined to advance the inter
ests of the association and put an emo 10
the so-caled persecution.
Address to. Horse Owners.
Charles E. Myers, president of the asso-
citation, has addressed communication to
the horse owners of the District OF Co
Iumbia, Maryland and Virginia, giving the
details of the mass meeting at Masonic
Temple, March q, and stating that 1t was
voted to organize for protection. Agents OF
the Humane Society," it is declared, have
become SO aggressive that thousands OF
dollars have been wrongfully taken from
horse owners.
Mr.. Myers further asserts that the law
under which the society is operating is IL
legal and unconstitutional
Members of the bar so assert, and nave
filed Briefs he says, setting forth tne
legal status of the act under whlch inns
organization is operating. The present
methods, under the guise OF humane prin-
ciples have been transformed into a money
making concern for the association. law
which allows set of private lndlVlouals 10
lodge a complaint against horse owner
pass upon the amount of fine he shail pay
in each case, and pocket the money, is
wrong and contrary to American principles
We have formed an organization 10 carry
TO the highest courts, If necessary, the cases
which have arisen under the present mis-
conduct of these humane ofhcers, ana 10
get a fair trial for our members In the fu-
ture when they are wrongfully accused OF
being cruel to horses We are not IN any
manner unfolding actual cruelty, and desire
that every act of cruel treatment De pun
ished severely, our own drivers lncluoeo.
among our membership who will be COM
petent to Judge the physical condition OF
horse, and when their judgment is cues
toned by the Humane Society we Will as
sist our members to appeal their cases 10
higher courts, until such time when redress
will be furnished us by high authority.
"A fund of considerable proportions has
already been subscribed, and We have
among our membership the noioers vi iai &c
numbers of horses.
Views of T. L. Holbrook.
T. l.. Holbrook, president of the New
Washington Brick Company, in letter to
President Myers announces desire to join
the association and cooperate with the
members. He states that for number of
wears he was member of the Humane
Society and contributed $40 annually to-
ward its support in order to advance means
of preventing cruelty to animals, particu-
larly his own Finding that while the older
officers of the society, rule sent horses
and mules to the stable, when, in their
opinion, anything was wrong, he explains
the newer and inexperienced officers sought
to make cases against him for trivial
causes, so he severed his connection with
the society.
Defending those cases cost me much time
and money" Mr. Holbrook wrote, land the
word of the humane officer was usually &C
cepted, in spite of all the evidence to the
contrary l would produce, and in nearly
every case a fine was imposed
Further, Mr.. Holbrook wrote:
my experience has been that mules and
horses that leave our stables in perfect
physical condition and fit for work, with
harness arranged SO that the slightest sore
is protected, get lame on the street from
picking up nails or losing shoes or by i'm
proper and careless driving, and that while
the older agents of the society send the
animals if unfit for work or injured, to our
stable and notified the stable boss to ap-
pear in the Police Court and defend the
case which usually means paying a. fine, the
younger and more inexperienced agents
have the teams taken to the nearest station
house, where the horses are detained with
out food, water attention until We can
send for them and put up the necessary col
lateral for their release.
Mr.. Holbrook has been assured by the Of
ficers of the horse owners association that
it is not their intention ip any way to
sanction brutal treatment Of animals, con-
tending that no one is more eager to care
for horses and prevent cruelty than the
horse owners themselves.