In the course of the discussion on the Nazi motion for the prohibition of Shechita in the Agricultural Commission of the Prussian Parliament, which rejected it, but decided to set on foot an enquiry into the various methods of stunning and slaughtering animals and to reconsider the question in October, Deputy Hartwig, the spokesman of the Social Democratic Party, said that the Social Democrats are fundamentally in favour of the most humane method of slaughtering animals. If it were shown that electrical stunning would not damage the animal, which would be contrary to the religious beliefs of the Jews, the Social Democrats would support electrical stunning.
Deputy Hagemann, the spokesman of the Centre (Catholic) Party, said that science had not yet shown that Shechita was more cruel than any other method of slaughtering animals for food, and it was essential to take account of the religious feelings of the Jews. His Party would vote in favour of electrical stunning as being more humane, only on condition that it will not hurt Jewish religious feelings.
Deputy Meier, the spokesman of the Nazi Party, who is Chairman of the Agricultural Commission, said that the discussion had shown him that the original resolution for prohibiting Shechita must be withdrawn. He then moved the second resolution to set up the enquiry, and this was adopted with the Nazi and German National members of the Commission voting in favour, with the additional support of the two representatives of the Centre Party on the Commission, with the Social Democrats and the Communists voting against.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
