Evening star., 1909-06-05
CHANGE IN THE HUMANE Law
PROVISIONS OF CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE BILL.
Power of Enforcement Put in the
Hands Of Police Instead
of Society.

II the board Of directors Of the Chamber
Of Commerce pass favorably upon the
report of the committee on law and order'
adopted at meeting of that committee
held last night, the chamber will go on
record as favoring a change in the law
governing the Humane Society. sub
committee of the law and order COM
mittee had prepared bill covering this
question which reduces materially the
powers of the Humane Society. and IT
was this bill that was adopted by the
full committee last night. 1t will be pre-
sented to the board of directors at their
next meeting.
In its first section the bill defines
cruelty to draft animals and pronounCes
unnecessary overlooking or overorivlng
or other inhumane treatment OF ofa!t
animals to be a msdemeanor punlshaDie
as afterward provided.
Section 2 defines the docking or
horses tails as cruelty punishable unoer
the provisions of the act.
Section 3 declares instigating. promot-
ing or carrying on fights between birds
or animals to be misdemeanor punish-
able under the provisions of the act
Section declares II to be unlaWful 10
sell or offer for sale any animal too SICK
or one which is disabled for work.
Police to Enforce the Law.
Section provides that the enforcement
of the provisions of the act shall De
lodged in the superintendent of police.
instead of the humane society and It's
agents.
Section 6 provides for the proper detail
of officers for the enforcement OF the act
Section authorizes the Commissioners
to add to the police force the necessary
complement Of officers for this work.
l,o1 Ia oUyff
any person to offer a prize. gift. medal or
other announcement to activity on the
part of policemen in the enforcement Oh
the act.
Section 0 declares that fines. collateral
or other forfeitures resulting from tne en-
forcement Of the act shall not be PAID TO
the Humane Society. but shall ne oe
posted in the Treasury OF the Unlteo
States and become part OF the revenues
of the District.
violation of the act shall be a fine not
exceeding $500 or imprisonment not 10
exceed one year. or both, in the dlscre-
tion of the court, for each offense
In section IL animals In the purvleW OF
the act are defined as all sentient crea-
lures except human beings, and owners
and persons referred to in the act incluoe
cornor ations as we'll as individuals. Tor
ture, torment and crue'y are ite,u Iii ~
include neglect in care or feeding as Wen
as inf1iction of pain by whip or other In
strument.
The section which contains the meat OF
the measure so far as the association OF
horse owners, who are responsible Tor
the original agitation against the Hu-
name Society. is concerned, is sect1on D.
which provides that fines for cruelty 10
animals shall not be paid to the Humane
Society. but TO the District fund. Ii mas
been charged by the horse owners tnat
the agents of the society frequently
trump up charges against drivers In OF
der to swell the funds Of the society.
Protest Against Sample Sales.
Another matter acted upon at last
nights meeting was the resolution pre-
sented TO the chamber by the Ladies
Tailors Association protesting against
the sale of samples in hotels by mer-
chants or agents from other cities. and
asking that the Commissioners be re-
auested to urge a license tax for such
sales subcommittee was appointed to
investigate the question and report to
the law and order committee, which last
night expressed itself as being in SYM
pathy with the local tailors
An invitation was extended through
Ernest Daniel, chairman of the commit
tee. TO James B. Reynolds. the inves-
tigator. who presented President Roose-
welt with recommendations regarding the
change in the form Of the District gov
eminent to appear before the subcom-
mittee of the chamber having charge of
the chambers inquiries into the District
government.