CHAPTER VIII 



THE KENNEL CLUB AND ITS DUTIES 



BEFORE the Kennel Club came into existence, in the 

 early seventies, dog showing was more or less in 

 a state of chaos, and malpractices had become so 

 frequent that it was quite evident decent people could 

 not continue to participate in the sport unless some 

 controlling body was formed. After passing through 

 many vicissitudes the Club is now so firmly established 

 that it has very efficient control of every show held 

 in the kingdom. It may be regarded as an auto- 

 cratic authority, inasmuch as the Committee have the 

 right to refuse election to any person whom they may 

 consider undesirable ; but for all that, it wields its 

 authority in a more or less democratic manner. The 

 Committee is always open to consider any reasonable 

 suggestion that may be placed before it, and its 

 members are men of probity, actuated with a desire to 

 do the right thing. They give much voluntary time 

 to the duties which they are called upon to perform. 

 The General Committee meets fortnightly to hear 

 cases that may, be brought before it, and it has the 

 power to suspend any evildoer for varying periods, 

 according to the nature of the offence. In some of 



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