BIRD'S-EYE VIEW
Page 21
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LNYONE who cares for animals cannot fail to be disturbed by ay some destined for slaughter are d in their last hours. Britain's I in the matter is probably better my but ignorance of animal ology, lack of common humanity varice cannot be the exclusive '
of foreigners. i I ,ackground report from the iean Communities Commission "The care of animals bears a direct m to their value to their owner. horses and breeding bulls may near royally but horses, cattle, , pigs and poultry for the abattoir equivalent could often tell a ent stOry. .
is not always a question of cruelty ften a total lack of comprehension nimals have feelings, that they can iily frightened by strange ramps ad light, that young bulls
-awn to each other will fight for that animals dislike uneven merit, and that pigs in particular pecially subject to stress." d before we give a superior sniff in xection of the Continent, nber that a survey by the UK and Livestock Commission found
that out of 10,000 pigs, more than half the carcasses were damaged, 44.4 per cent by fighting. This is surely an indictment of their handlers.
"More patience and a little thought would make a great deal of difference to the animal's last journey," says the Standing Committee for Agricultural Research. Those qualities should not be too much to ask of people who pride themselves on being superior animals.
MY INFORMED friends in the corridors of power are confident that, although Nicholas Ridley will remain Transport Secretary after the Government reshuffle, Lynda Chalker will be Minister of something other than Transport. Such is the expectation of her move to a more onerous job that I hear even her own aides are turning down appointments for her in September and October for fear that she will be unable to attend.
FOOTBALL clubs that are desperately trying to comply with the Popplewell inquiry's anti-thug
recommendations before the new season starts need to look to Daf Trucks for aid. The company is a generous supporter of sport, including fights under Marquis of Queensberry rules, but not of mob violence.
It has gone right off soccer and has diverted its sponsorship to showjumping, rowing and more local events. The use of Daf advertisement boards as weapons at the infamous Luton-Millwall match last season displeased Christopher Thorneycroft-Smith, marketing director and enthusiastic athlete, but the last straw was the Brussels holocaust. That effectively settled any doubt whether Daf should continue to be associated with such a disreputable pastime.
FORGIVE the British Association of Removers if you fail to get through to its head office by phone just now. Of its four executive staff, two have left — one to join a member company's staff, the other has "ceased working" for the BAR — and others are on holiday. It is advising its members to avoid phoning unless there is a dire emergency.
• by the Hawk