Salt Lake Tribune | 1904-05-08 | Page 11 | Are Autos Animals?

AUE AUTOS ANIMALS? Corporation Counsel of New York Says Motor Speeding Is Cruelty Cruel-ty to Animals. Automobiles are animals, according to a recent ruling of the Corporation Counsel of New York, and ln conse-quenco conse-quenco more than $5000 collected as fines from automobillsts who exceeded the speed limits with their machines has been paid to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelly to Animals. The auto became an animal by an act of the Legislature of 1002. which declared it to bo a, misdemeanor to drive autos above a certain speed. The title of the bill was "An act to amend Sec. C6S of the Penal Code." Xow Sec. CCS reads: "All fines, penalties or forfeitures for-feitures Imposed or collected for a violation vio-lation of any act for the prevention of cruelty to animals must be paid on demand to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals." In the other section It says: "The word 'animal' as used In the title does hot Include tho human race, but Includes In-cludes every other llviny creature. The word 'torture or 'cruelty' includes every act, omission or neglect whereby unjustifiable physical pain, suffering or death Is caused or permitted." During the year 1903 $?3S0 ln fines was collected from automobillsts, and $2000 Is estimated for this year, und the S, P, C. A- demanded the money. The Comptroller hud placed the money in the fund for the payment of the Interest In-terest on the city debt, and refused to pay It. The Corporation Counsel sent a communication com-munication to the Sinking Fund commission, com-mission, giving It as his opinion that the society was entitled to the money. The Legislature had declared auto speeding to be cruelty to animals, and tho society was the legal beneficiary of the fines.