The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-06-26

| progress. ana IN harmony Will Jul
theory of republican equality.
MARK TAPLEY.
| From the Indianapolis JournaL]
The Sheep and Dog Interests Of In
diana.
In the census reports of 1850 Indi.
ana is credited with I ,122, 493 head OF
sheep. Ten years later the number
had increased to -2,1S9,3H, being a
gain of nearly one hundred per cent.
or ten <per cent. annually We have
| no statistics at hand by which to de
| termine the number at this date, but
estimating the same ratio of increase
that there was from 1850 to 1860
there are now in this State about !,
100000 head of sheep.
How many dogs we have has not
been ascertained by any census re-
port, but the amount of taxes assessed
upon the owners of these sheep-kill-
ing animals, in 1866, may be consider
ed AIN approximation to the true
number. Nine counties made no re-
turn of the dog tax, in consequence,
probably, of decisions in some of the
inferior courts against the constitu-
tionality of the law imposing it, but
the amount levied in the other
eighty three counties = was $l54 $40,
and as the usual tax is one dollar for
each dog, we have about 155, 900 ours
of high and low degree against nearly
100000 sheep.
The Supreme Court having sus-
tanned the constitutionality Of the
dog tax, the delinquent counties will
henceforth collect it, and unless the
hydrophobia panic has thinned out
the dogs largely, the amount of the
sheep indemnity fund will show a
considerable increase in the next re-
port Of the Auditor of State.
The dog tax is set apart as fund
to reimburse damages done by the
killing or manning of sheep by dogs,
and as we have met some farmers
who were not aware of its provisions,
and proposed to abandon sheep rails
ing in consequence. of the ravages
| committed by vagrant dogs upon their
focks, we have though it not unim-
portant to call attention to the pro-
visions of the Act of March 2, 1865,
which was passed with the double
| object of discouraging the increase of
dogs and encouraging the growth of
wool.
Any person sustaining loss by the
manning or killing of his sheep by
dogs, may present his claim for dam
ages to the trustee of the township in
which the mischief was done, and
upon proper proof being made to the
satisfaction Of the trustee, he is re-
quired to award, and to pay out of
the fund arising from the dog tax,
such damages as he may deem just;
conditional, however, that the claim
ant will not prosecute the owner of
the dog causing the damage, and pro-
vided that he has not prosecuted an
action against the owner.
In case a surplus of over fifty dol
lars of this fund remains in the hands
of the township trustee on the first
Monday in March Of any given year,
over and above all orders drawn on
the same, such surplus is required to
be passed to the credit of the school
revenue Of the township, to be ex-
pended in the payment of tuition in
such township as other funds received
for that purpose. ae
What amount of claims have been
presented against this fund in the re-
spective counties, by sheep owners,
we have no means of knowing, but we
are informed Of several counties in
which large amounts have been paid
into the township school fund, in de-
fault of claimants on account of sheep
destroyed.
The fact, therefore, that great raw
ages are occasionally committed
among focks by dogs, should not
deter our farmers from raising sheep,
as the law makes ample provision for
reimbursing such losses. The high
prices and comparative scarcity of
beef and pork of late years, have
largely increased the consumption of
mutton; and it is likely to become
more and more an article of diet, in
case the abundance Of sheep shall
enable it to be furnished at reasona-
bic rates.
The value Of the wool produced by
the number of sheep owned by our
farmers is no inconsiderable item, we
think. at fair estimate, not less than
So, 600, 900 annually, at the low price
| it now bears. The present tax on
dogs will be continued as long as the
farmers of the State choose to have it
continued, and if it should at any
time be found insufficient to make
good the damages resulting from the
raids of dogs upon the sheep folds,
the Legislature will not hesitate to
| increase its amount.
/ ssf