Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-15
|HORSEMEN'S VIEWS
Owners Approve Amended
Anti-CrueIty Bill.
ISSUE LONG STATEMENT
Oppose Alleged Methods Of Humane
Society Agents.
TOO MANY ARRESTS CHARGED
Object Declared to Be Increase of
Revenue of Organization.
Policemen Favored.
TOO MANY ARRESTS CHARGED

The horse Owners Mutual Protective
Association today. through its secretary.
BENJAMIN r. Edwards, made a statement
in reference to the bill pending before
Congress for the prevention and punish
ment of cruelty to animals in the Dis
trict of Columbia. 1t is stated by the
organization OF horse owners that there
have been so many erroneous and mis-
leading statements made in certain quar-
ters OF late with reference to the bill
for the prevention and punishment of
cruelty to animals in the District of
Columbia-prepared by the Chamber of
Commerce, after hearing the Horse Own
ers' Association, and recently Endorsed,
with certain suggested changes. by the
District Commissioners-that it is proper
to explain the provisions Of the much
talked-of bill, for the benefit of the pub
lie.
1.-THE bill, as amenued by the District
Commissioners, meets the approval of The
horse owners of the District, and the
original provisions of the bill, which the
Commissioners in their wisdom have
considered. This statement will relate ex-
clusively to the bill in the form in which
it has been TRANSMITTED to Congress by
the Commissioners.
As Stringent as Present Law.
This bill. which has given rise to so
much sensational and extravagant talk of
late, il quite as stringent and severe in
its provisions as the existing law, II not
more so. An examination of the bill
will show that It provides for the pun
ishment of every form Of wanton or un-
necessary cruelty to animals; amy bill
which failed to do this would not repre-
sent the views of the horse owners OF
the National Capital. The horse owners
are not as black as they have recently
been painted by certain representatives
Of the Humane Society. They are law
abiding citizens and are as much in ia
vor Of a rigorous cruelty to animals law
for the District as any other class of
individuals.
with the aims and purposes Of the HUI
name Society, but they are opposed to
the methods and practices which have
been reSorted to in recent years by the
salaried agents of the Humane Society
to increase the revenues of the society,
their employer, which receives, under the
present law, all money resulting from
their activity. The methods Of these
agents Of the Humane Society are we'll
known They have become a stencil In
the nostrils of the people. These agents
OF the Humane Society in recent years
have been giving more attention to the
question Of increasing the revenues Of
this private corporation than to the en-
forcement OF the law; their prosecutions
have been conducted for revenue only.
Declare Arrests Too Numerous.
THE practice Of these agents, to which
horse owners generally object and which
the bill In question Is designed to put an;
end to- is that Of arresting citizens upon
flimsy charges. which the agents know
cannot stand the test Of judicial scrutiny,
In the hope of forcing the persons thus
unjustif1ably arrested to forfeit collateral,
to avoid trouble, annoyance and expense
OF Police Court trial; sand-bagging
process
1.-THE methods of the agents Of the HUI
name Society. as stated. are well known
and can easily be proven. In the course
Of the hearings held some time ago by
the Chamber Of Commerce. while the
question Of amending the cruelty to ami
mails law was under consideration by that
body, prominent Police Court official,
who for years has been in a position to
positively know whereof he spoke. de-
scribed the methods of these agents thus:
Agents of the Humane Society, day
In and day out, barter with accused per-
sons whom they bring into court as to
the amount of collateral to be forfeited
to the society, often falling from $50 to
81. They have brought in the same wit
nesses so often as to cause alarm and
the rejection OF their testimony. Agents
also make a practice of scrambling to
put their names on cases brought in by
police officers, thereby diverting funds
properly belonging to the District to the
Golfers Of the Humane Society. This old
law Is vicious in principle and should be
changed in some way.
Statement Of Oficial.
'.At a recent hearing before the Dis
trict Commissioners another well known
official gave similar testimony with re-
gard to the procedure Of these Humane
Society agents as a result of personal OBJ
servation. He stated, as a result of his
observation and experience at the Police
Court, that the present cruelty to animals
law was vicious and wrong in principle
and had proven pernicious in practice.
Neither of the officials mentioned is q
horse owner.