The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1875-06-30
THE DOG LAW.


i
sembly ct It's recent session has eli
cited 90 much comment IN the agri-
cultural districts as that 'sto increase
the revenue OF che State and encour-
age wool growing but known. for
short las the Dog Law. There are
always two sides to question, and
the side we present to-day is that
taken by man Of no less promi-
nence and ability than Judge Z. Z.
Gardenhire, Representative from
White county, who voted for the
bill: ai sff sBe ElaiafEaa saa
4. Whatever may be said, the
keeping of q dog is luxury, and
not necessity Of social life. We
are in debt, and every other means
of increasing the revenue is resorted
TO except taxing dogs. Houses and
lands, horses and cattle, jewels and
furniture, are all taxed-why not
dogs?s If a hundred thousand dol
lars are raised by a tax on dogs, 1t
takes off that amount from lands
and other property. If am to pay
ten dollars tax, it. would seem to
matter very little whether pay the
amount on a lot of dogs or on q
four thousand dollar farm. Houses
and lands are taxed, and no COM
plant is made; the necessaries of
life are taxed. and no murmur is
heard but touch the dogs, and q
howl is heard through the land by
some. es ss4
Every mangought to contribute to
the support Of his government.
There is certain class that pays
little or nothing. Each of that class
has from three to five dogs. They
may stint or deny themselves coffee
and sugar. They are sparing in the
use of salt and. -four, but they will
not deny themselves the luxury of
a few savage dogs; and it is evil
dence of high merit if he has only
bitten some person..
The adages which pass current
among the people have much Wis
dom in them. We hear often of kill
ing two birds with one stone. If one
will do, the use of two is extrava-
giant. Then if we can raise revenue.
and rid the country of worthless
whelps, we have accomplished much.
The cost of dogs is enormous.
Let US look to figures little. We
have a population of 1.25O.O0O.
None, I suppose, will doubt but that
there is one dog for every six per-
sons, which makes POS, $685. in the
State. 1t will require at least ten
dollars per head to feed each dog,
or 50. 2.083. $50 to feed, our dogs. This
is more than the whole revenue coll
lected last year. The revenue coli
lected last year was only 81 1,809,-
431 4S. The food for your dogs,
last year, cost you $273, ,89S 81
more than that. Col. Killebrew, in
his great work entitled the Resour-
ces of Tennessee, after speaking of
the cost of feeding dogs, says "But
the losses do not stop here. Not
less than 10000 sheep are killed an
nually by these pests. worth, say
eachs two dollars, which will be $780,
600. Add to this the discourage
ments of sheep raising. In all coun.
tries where sheep raising is protect
ed and the climate is suited to this
branch of husbandry. there should
be at least two sheep for each per-
son. The population Of Tennessee.
by the last census, was I ,256, 500
multiply this by two and the result
ing NUMBER 81, ,040-shonld rep.
resent the nnmber Of sheep in the
State. But the actual number is
826,763 Deduct this from the num-
Der that in all probability would be
raised II proper protection were CIV
en-, and the loss, properly chargable
to the presence of dogs. viii be L.
$50, lit. worth at least 1850, ,434. :
s.Bnt further still. There are in
Vulnerable streams now wasting
their strength. against their rocky
banks, that might be available and
made 20 work up their wool into
valuable stuff. If the supply of wool
was regular and constant. Ten
millions Of pounds of wool could be
grown every year in Tennessee,
without interfering in the least with
other industries. ALLOW this to be
worth 40 cents per pound or ,000,-
000. and that manufacturing estab-
lisments could realize 10 per cent,
clear profit, which with the advan-
tages here offered. would be exceed.
ingly reasonable. and here we may
enter loss of $500, ,OO0." k g &
'.Still further. There are in the
State not fewer than 10000 women
and an equal number of Children,
who can ind no profitable employ
ment on the farm or In our work
shops. This labor is lost to the
State, and this class of persons is a
burden to the communities in which
theysreside. Take what they now
cost from the profits of productive
industry, and add to it the profits
which they would make the State
by laboring in WOODEN mills, and the
amount would not fall short of $50
for each person, or $2.O00,O0O an
nually.
'sNow. let US sum up the actual
constructive loss to the State from
this negative protection to dogs and
positive discouragement to sheep
raising - ni
Loss on feeding dogs g. 100000
sheep killed by dogs annually, s-~- - 10000
Value Of eheep that vonId be raised, $50 s34
Predka Of wod faetories, 3 - -260o0So
Losses ON labor 1000, 1000
Aggregate, "a go 4a1
This large sum would build a
nice little white church in every civ
II district from Carter to Shelhv. TT