THE TRAFFIC/ IN WORN-OUT HORSES.
[To TH. EDITOZ or ram ..Sreerrroa...1
Sxu,—In the beginning of the year you published some letters on the traffic in worn-out English horses, describing the fate of those horses in Belgium, and the impossibility of protect- ing them from the worst evils of the traffic so long as they are exported alive. The great number of letters written by your readers and the spreading of the correspondence throughout the general Press proved the real and widespread interest felt in this subject ; and if you will permit me to describe shortly where we are now on our way towards the prohibition of the living export for slaughter abroad, I believe it would interest your readers and help to unite us in our efforts.
(I) The Bill, which passed its second reading in the House of Commons without opposition, will go into Committee after Whitsuntide. Many people who have not followed this move- ment closely think that this Bill is the original Bill of Captain Murray, that was to prohibit the exportation alive of any horse of, or under, the value of 210. That Bill would have killed the traffic in live horses for slaughter abroad. The Port Veterinary Inspector at Antwerp and the lawyer of the Corporation of Horse Butchers both expressed that opinion to me. The Bill passed out of Captain Murray's hands into those of Colonel Hall Walker, and since that transmission has been wholly changed. As it stands now it forbids the exportation alive of any horse permanently unfit for work. No one who knows the organization and methods of this traffic can hope that so mild and vague a measure will prevail against it. Unless in Committee it is so amended that a definite value is fixed, inclusive of the main export, and export alive of any horse of that value, or below it, forbidden, I fear that it will not greatly change the traffic, and that we shall have to begin the same fight again next winter.
(2) A scheme is developing for the purchase, humane slaughter, and exportation as dead meat, or utilization at borne, of our decrepit horses. This scheme was discussed lately at the house of Mrs. Lumley Holland, when Miss Lumley Holland read a statement, and Sir John Rolleston, Mr. Walter Long, Mr. Fairholme, Mr. Percy Carew Essex, and other important and well-informed people spoke. Nearly every part of the horse is valuable, and the conversion of the live animal into sausages or joints involves a considerable amount of industry and of trade. For these reasons the foreigner puts a heavy tax on dead meat, and secures the advantages that we lose. If we slaughter our horses in England, a few, who now make inordinate gains, will have to content themselves with a reasonable profit. The loss, by no means ruinous, of that few will be balanced by a gain to the many—gain of the industries and the valuable products kept by the slaughter in England of about fifty thousand horses annually. Proprietors of sausage factories and horse-butchers represent an important Belgian trade, and that trade requires the supply of cheap English horseflesh. If the live export were refused, the tax on dead horseflesh would certainly be lessened for the sake of that trade. The main traffic is ha winter. If the shortest sea routes were chosen, and stables and slaughterhouse& built near the docks, the main supply of horseflesh could be killed according to demand, and sent simply as fresh carouses. At present about one thousand such carcases a year are sent to Rotterdam, and the flesh is found as good as that of horses sent alive. I have seen two sent in the same way at Ghent.
(3) Films of the traffic, all taken since last January, are being exhibited at different cinema shows in London and in the provinces. The worst are not shown, because they are too shocking. Some were unfortunately taken on a day when the Chief Government Inspector was at Antwerp, and conditions were better than usual. Such as they are, I take entire responsibility for the aecuraey of every film taken in Belgium, both those that are shown in public and those that cannot be shown. I will answer any questions about either that anyone cares to ask.
Sheer force of public opinion has obliged the passing of a BilL I beg that same public to take care that the Bill is what it wants and means. Members of the Committee are willing and ready to amend the Bill to its original efficiency, but the forces against us are active and strong, and unless the public insists on the Bill it wants it will be baulked by a third inefficient measure. Now is the time to insist. The gain of the foreigner is wrung out of the torment of our old horses. Our gain would be the gain of the old horses : by "A merciful death on the nearer shore."
Let us unite in a last great effort for the Bill we want.—I am,
Hill Top, Cley-next-the-Sea.
[We gladly publish Miss Cole's appeal, and sincerely trust it will prove successfuL We cannot, however, enter upon a further correspondence on this question.—En. Spectator.]
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