10 MARCH 1933, Page 14

Letters to the Editor

[Correspondents are requested to keep their letters as brief as is reasonably possible. The most suitable length is that of one of our News of the Week' paragraphs.—Ed. THE SPECTATOR.]

"FOR BEAST AND BIRD "

[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] SIR,—The article in your issue of February 17th is en- couraging to those who wish progress to be made in this country's animal and bird protecting legislation.

Some people affirm that to promote a Bill for the humane slaughter of animals is unnecessary because much of our meat supply is imported dead. The Ministry of Agriculture estimate that, during the year ended May 1932, the following live stock were sold for slaughter from farms in England and Wales : 1,271,000 .. 788,000 .. 6,914,000 3,838,000

In addition, during the same period, 1,276,000 cattle, sheep, lambs and pigs were imported into England and Wales in fat condition and slaughtered at the ports of arrival.

In other words, the officially estimated total of animals slaughtered here in one year was over fourteen millions. Surely this is sufficient, in point of numbers alone, to justify Parliament making into statutory law a principle that is already accepted as necessary by those progressive local authorities which have adopted Model Humane Slaughtering Cattle Calves .. Sheep and lambs Pigs