Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1862-07-02
70 Assessors New Dog Las

The legislature enacted Q new law Tor
disposing Of dogs-repealing the oil one
Assessors are TO report to the Town Clerk
the names Of I'll persons owning a dog OF
dogs in their respective towns, and the sex
Of The same; such list shall be kept aepaF
ate from the property list. The assessor
is to receive three cents for each dog own
er, to be paid out Of the dog license fund.
Every owner Of dog is thereuren taxed one
dollar for each male dog and two dollars
for each slut; such list is to be certified and
handed to the treasurer for collecting the
license. The treasurer is required, at the
time Of collecting other tax, to demand said
dog license money and receive the same.
Persons refusing TO pay must be reported
to some Justice Of the peace, whose duty
is to command all delinquents TO appear
forthwith and show cause Of neglect to pay.
Persons failing to appear must BE brought
by force, and must pay Or show that they
are unable to do SO. All persons able to
pay but still refusing must lie forced by
levy and dstraint Of property. The dogs
ofall persons unable TO pay must be taken
and killed by the treasurer, constable, or
police officer, for which business Of killing
the public dog executioner shall receive ff
ty cents per dog killed out Of the dog Il
cense money. Persons losing sheep by
dogs are to be remunerated from the Ii
cense fund. Officers neglecting to com
ply with this law, or refusing, shall forfeit
$4,000 for every day they shall 50 refuse.
The law goes into effect Immediately, and
from the reading appears to us unavoidable
in force and effect. Officers are compelled
to act, under penalty Of the sererest kind
for neglect. 1t is a law which every farmer
Of any intelligence, respect for his business
or foresight into bis own and the public in
terest viii gladly support.
Dogs are the only impediments to raising
sheep, except wolves. But for dogs every
farm in the country would this day be
worth ten per cent. more than it is. And
just at this time the farm people are turn
ing their attention 10 sheep as the best bus
mess that can be resorted to; every man
at all ableis wanting sheep-yet, the grea.-
est Of all hindrances is the dogs, the worst
IF them kept by ignorant fellows whose
highest pride is being the owner Of poor,
halfstaryed, sheep-kiling ours, and who
would be better of, and better able to feed
their families were the dog killer to execute
the law. A general enforcement Of this
law will bring ten thousand, may Be fifty
thousand sheep into the county just so
soon as it is seen that public opinion will
support the change; and in five years half
million sheep Nill he supported in the
county, yielding a wool revenue Of three
million pounds, worth million dollars
cash. Add to this, a nett increase Of %
per cent. in the value Of hill lands for
sheep pastures, and consequently SO much
additional tax basis, with a corresponding
profit to labor-all ibis in exchange for
two or three thousand dogs which people
viii sacrifice rather than be taxed for them.
We hope not a demagoge will rise up and
say, "this dog law is unconstitutional, for
It interferes with The poor MAS right to
own more dogs Il m children and TO starye
both.' We expect there will be men mean
enough to cry out against this law, that
there viii be town treasurers, assessors,
AID justices me n enough 10 allow the law
to slide BY and be neglected, because a few
Representatives Of half-starved, sheep-ki!ling
dogs are opposed to it. Let the farmers
be equally exacting for rigid enforcement
Of the law and it Will stand and the coun-
try be million richer
- xs&aa--------
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