HUMANE SLAUGHTER OF SHEEP
[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.]
Sia,—The Slaughter of Animals Act (1933) provides that all Local Authorities should consider within twelve months from the passing of the Act whether they shall contract sheep into the Act and thus give to them the same merciful end as is granted to cattle. The period of option is now drawing to a close, and very soon all returns will have come in. So far, these returns make disappointing reading. It is true that up to the end of May 809 Authorities have agreed to operate the Act in respect of sheep, but these form only a fraction of the total number of Borough Councils and Urban District Councils in England. In comparatively few counties, and these mostly in the south, is there a majority of Authorities in favour of the more humane methods of slaughter, while in such counties as Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cheshire, Cumberland and many others a considerable majority have resolved to retain the antiquated and ruthless system of killing sheep with the knife without previously reducing the victim to unconsciousness.
Why should there be such reluctance to break from the needless cruelty of the dark ages ? Surely the experience of Scotland which, since June, 1929, has had the benefit of its own Slaughter of Animals Act, one of the provisions of which makes humane methods compulsory in the killing of sheep, ought to dispel all doubt as to the success of these methods. May I suggest that Local Authorities may well give the fullest consideration to both sides of the question before reaching their decision ? The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is always willing, when asked, to give a practical demonstration of how sheep may be humanely slaughtered.—I am, Sir, &c.,
A. MARY FINDLAY (Hon. Secy., Midlothian and Edin- burgh Branch, Scottish Society for Edinburgh. Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).
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