The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-10-26
THE DOG TAX QUESTION.



!, necessary to adduce any further argyll
,uent in support of the position now as
snmed by the enlightened agricultural Gle
,ncnt of our State, viz: the necessity of q
Stringent dog law for Maryland. | shall
be Excused from an.,--:anDorate argument in
Jefencc of this position for the reason also.
tbat the Maryland Farmer of September
1860. contained a lengthy statement OF
losses sustained by shcep-raisers from the
Jonredations of dogs, with statistics con-
ccrning that mighty sincw Of the ponderous
ogricultural arm--the wool interest. |
write now merely to call attention to the
laws existing in Maryland upon that SUBJ
};ncluded in their beneficent operation.
The General Assembly of Maryland lat
;ts session of 1870 enacted the following
law ''for the protection of sheep in Queen
Annc's, Dorchester and Somerset counties,
and for reimbursing owners of sheep for
damages sustained by them in tho killing or
niuring of sheep by dogs":
Section makes it the duty of the con-
stables OF the several election districts to
make an accurate annual return of the
number of dogs over four months old owned
in the county.
Section provides for an annual levy of
one dollar for each dog to be
paid by the owner.
Section gives the constables ten per
cent. of the amounts collected, and an adj
dtional ten cents for each dog returned, ac-
cordng to Section l..
Section empowers the constable to kill
the dog upon refusal or neglect of the
owner to pay the tax, and allows him ten
cents for each dog so killed, and for failure
TO execute the law the constable is liable to
fine of not less than twenty-five, nor
more Chan two hundred dollars, one-half
to the inforner.
Section constitutes the monies arising
from the levy fund TO remunerate sheep
owners for losses by dogs.
Section prescribes the manner of as
ccrtaining and paying such losses.
Section appropriates the surplus re-
naming Of this fund at the end of the year
to the School Board, provided that five
hundred dollars be kept always on hand.
Section s authorizes the constables to re-
turn the person inhabiting house as the
owner of any dog kept or straying around
it, and to kill any dog not returned as hay
ing an owner, for which he receives a fee
provided for in section 4.
Section 0 authorizes any ncrson In Kill
any dog who shall be seen running sheen
or any owner of a dog known TO worry
sheen does not kill him mon information
thereof any person NAV do SO whenever
the dog is found at large. and the owner of
snch dog shall make f9ll conversation for
all damages done by il.
Section 10 makes the security Of the
constablcs liable for all monies collected
under the act and not paid over: prcscribes
the COMPENSATION of Justice OF the peace.
and appraisers for services under the act
and cxcmpts from it's operation "incorno.
rated towns wherein a similar tax is I'M
posed.''
Section IL makes it a felony to seal
another's dor. and assiyns the pcnaltv
therefor. "
The fair and square terms of this law do
not indicate that the cnrs of Marvland arc
being handled with Gloves bv our leg-
slators, and if its wise provisions could
be made to apply to every mart of the
State, it would exert an Immediately favor
able influence upon the agricultural and in
dustrial interests of society, for the connec-
ton is SO close between the different
branches of industry that any assistance
bearing upon and facilitating production
will accrue to the benefit of all classes in
the community. But one or two defects
appear in the law above quoted. IL is
questionable whether tax of one dollar is