The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-06-22

''Ine American method of Slaughtering food animals is the most brutal, debased and cruel of any pracuced on u large scale in any part of the world"
 Credit the foregoing remark, if you please, to Henry Bergh, chairman of the committees which have been consider ing the subject on behalf of the Amer ican Society for the Prevention of Cruel ty to Animals, and of the American Hu- mane association, the latter national body. It was the reason in a nutshell for the competition instituted by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in these words Painfully conscious of the cruelties in- f1icted upon animals by the present meth ods of slaughtering, and desirous of pre- venting, as far as possible, the suffer- ings of animals at the moment of giving up their lives for the benefit of man. kind the American Society for the Pre- vention of Cruelty to Animals, through its board of managers, offers a reward of $500 for the device or apparatus not now in use which will best accomplish the humane destruction of animals for food purposes
 President Alfred Wagstaff declared this competition open to all, without restric- ton, constituted the board of managers the judges, and, as result, great number of models and drawings were submitted prior to June 1, on which date the entries were closed.
 Behind this statement of fact lies the interesting part of the story.
 Long before Upton Sinclairs book ex- posed cruelties at the stock yards, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals had been seeking a better means of slaughtering than any employed in this country. and as a pre- liminary step the socety's correspond ents and affiliated organizations in all parts of the world were circularized with a view of getting the best thought of the whole world on the subject. To the surprise of the members of the commit tee, this country was found to be far behind the times, while Germany took precedence of the whole world in the matter of humane and economical com mercial saughtering.
 Some years ago German lady had offered a reward of 5000 for the best method of killing food animals, and this had proved a great stimulus to inven- tion. Then the German government un- dertook the supervision of all abattoirs, as the American government has since done, appointing specialists of distinction to various posts created for safeguarding both humanity and the dumb creatures, taking the advice of skilled veterinarians and compelling the strictest observance of the laws enacted to govern abattoirs otba ha hr pis- tol' was brought forth as an instrument for quick and humane destruction, and this weapon is now generally employed throughout the German empire
 In France, where government super vision is now equally strict, what is called the "Bruneau Mask is placed over the head of the animal to be slain, buckled behind the ears and blow from mallet drives a chisel held in the mask into the animals brain, causing instant and painless death.
 In Spain the spine of the animal is severed with the thrust of a spear, and this is the method in Cuba, and other Spanish speaking countries, except that a dagger is sometimes substituted for the spear.
 In Great Britain, where the matter of a reform in abattoir methods was ag tated some years ago by the Royal Hu- mane society, an admiralty commission was appointed to make investigation, and in due time this commission reported in favor of the pole-ax, which is also employed in Austria-Hunray.
 In no other country on earth which makes a pretense of civilization do such methods as those now in use in America prevail. For the shocking details, see the works of my friend Upton Sinclair, or visit an abattoir yourself.
 It was to stimulate invention with a view of improving American methods that the $500 prize was announced by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and if any of the inventions proved valuable, the society would feel that its money was we'll spent.
 The Bergh air gun, which has already been described in the newspapers was not entered in the competition for the ex- orllent reason that MT. Bergh is treas- urer of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and would not under the circumstances, &C., cept pecuniary reward from it.
 An amazing variety was shown in the