(To rits Eorroa or rue "Srscrovoa."J hare read the letters
on this subject appearing in your issue of January 17th with considerable interest and pain, and I think we all owe it to ourselves and to the good name of the country that united efforts should be made to mitigate the suffering entailed upon the large number of old worn-out horses which at present are exported under such inhumane conditions. Sorely animals that have served their owners and the community well during their lives should at least have secured to them a painless extinction of existence when the time comes.
I should like to make a few practical suggestions to help on the passing of the Bill which you state has already been prepared to deal with the matter. In this connexion there are one or two considerations that should not be lost sight of. There can be but little doubt that the only way to deal with the matter efficiently will be to insist upon the humane slaughtering of the animals before they leave England, and probably it may be found that the only practical way to secure this will be for the Bill to make this duty compulsory upon the Port Sanitary Authorities. As, however, it would be unfair that the Local Authorities of a few porta should bear the cost of erecting and administering abattoirs and carrying out what, after all, is a moral duty resting upon the whole community, the Bill should provide that only a small portion of the cost should be thrown upon the local rates at the ports, and that the balance of any necessary capital expenditure should be met by Government grant to the Local Authorities concerned. Probably the cost of local adminstration could be largely met by fees levied upon the owners of the animals dealt with.
Subject to a satisfactory adjustment on this point, I venture to make the following suggestions :— (1) That the Bill, embodying clauses to effect the financial arrangements indicated, should be printed and submitted to the Local Government Board and the Board of Agriculture, and to the Law Committee of the Association of Municipal Corporations, for criticisms and suggestions.
(2) Representations should be made to the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer with a view to provision being made in the Budget for the necessary Government grants.
(3) Statistical information should be forthcoming to show the extent of the traffic and the number of horses exported during each of the last three years from the chief ports.
(4) Promises of support to the Bill should be sought from Members of Parliament, and failing the Bill being taken up as a Government measure, private Members should be asked to ballot for a place for the Bill, with a view to securing an early second reading.
In view of the near approach of the sitting of Parliament there is obviously no time to be lost if any progress is to be made during this Session.—I am, Sir, &c., TOWN CLERK.
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