"As for brute animals and things undignified with reason, use them generously and nobly, as beings that have reason should treat those that have none."—Mancus AURELIUS.
My duties calling me to the Mixed Court, where I had to report the case of the above Society against Yih Dah in which he was fined $100, I thought it a good opportunity to ask my friend the Secretary if, when he had leisure, I might put a few remarks to him regarding the Society. He replied, Certainly, Sunday morning I'l be free; drop in." Consequently T did @rop in' and received n cordial welcome. My friend's first remarks were: Now lei's find a cool spot on the verandah and then fire ahead."
thought I had best commence at the beginning, and I asked when the S.S.P.C. A. first came into existence and for a shor! account of its early struggles." Well," replied the Secretary, our first birthday will be on Thursday the 17th inst., and it was in that room that we held our first meeting. Mr. Alford was in the chair and his clear-sightedness and business-like abilities soon put matters into shape, and the daily papers the next day informed the public that the Society had been born, and as proved afterwards was an exceed: ingly healthy child. Thad previously corresponded with Mr. John Colam, the Soerotary of the Royal Society. fr' the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in London, who was, and is enthusiastic about the carrying' out of the objects of the home Society in Shanghai.
"And how many subscribers did you have during the first year?" was my next question.
"Just over 200. Unfortunately we had for some months only two or three cases in Court, as our difficulty was that those engaged all day in business could not afford the time to appear at the Mixed Court to prosecute, but since our meeting in May fast the Municipal Council has been good enough to help us, and Inspector Batty who now assists the Society takes a real interest in its objects and we are able to bring into Court some of the worst cases, the punishment for which is having very good effect on the Chinese. Our subscription list is increasing and 'f feel sure will continue to do so, for instead of 200 subscribers we should certainly, in a community like this, he able to number 2000. I know for a fuct that after Yih Dah had been fined $100, the news spread like wildfire throughout the Settlements and immediately numbers of ponies, the poor, the halt, and the maimed were at once dispatched to the outskirts of the Settlement there to seck rest and recovery. That the cruelty here demands the existence of such a Society no one can deny,—in fact, in no place in the world, especially in the summer, is such a Society more needed. Indeed, not to have one would be a reproach to foreigners. Inspector Batty does his work for th Council, as before, and it is only in odd moments when he has the time that he devotes his services to the Society. Another year it will be necessary, and T hope possible, to have the interests of the S. B.G. Alin the hands of one or more specially appointed officers to attend to its welfare and nothing else, and with this outlay large increase in subscriptions will be necessary. The Police have done and are are ably supposed to take action when cases, doing goyd work as regards cruelty but they come under their notice, It is not their duty to ferret out cases in stables such as the one the $.S.P.C.A, had in Court the other day, nor to search the markets for cases of cruelty, and in such places as these and in the bye-ways and hedges, if I may so express it, the worst eases occur."
"But isn't it strange that the Chinese should starve their ponies and overwork them to such an extent Tt seems against their own interests was my next remark.
"Yes, it is strange. For a foreigner would naturally think that by doing so he could not get good work out of them; but nevertheless it is with Chinese and there are dozens of ponies brought into Shanghai for night-work starved, overworked, and with alled shoulders, and they' are spirited away beyond to the outskirts of the Settlement before foreigners have a chance of seeing them. Little idea have the foreigners here of the cruelties perpetrated, but if they removed the harness on many a pony that passes them on the road a wound could be. found 2 to 3 inches long. A alk round our markets would horrify many who ue.ver Sacks, pigeons, pigs and the like fa ueyend near them, for the cruelty to chic'xens.
the comprehension of ordi Chinese think it funny to nai amt ton board by its loose skin, pour Kerosene oil on. jit and ther set it on fire, but we hope to gradually show all of these off that they are doing wrong and torture any damp aniund is laws."
"T suppose on your subscription list you have the names of all prominent residents in this Settlement?" punish them well. When Yalking on this subject I always thigh of Leech's well-known picture in Prk where a heavily Taden cart was bout id for the Derby, with a broken-down animal iv the shafts, and a sympathetic bystander" remarked to the occupant, that they we qld never get there, to which one of them replied: Why not we've all got whips 17?"
As Twas leavivy T thanked my friend for all that he hr taild me. Not a bit, "you are cluing SPE. AL as for the more we can bring home to people the objects of the Sucioy and the necessity there is for its. existence, the more successful it will be ay the better the ave a coll so a many
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.