Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1883-04-25
Dogs and Sheep.

There is bill before the Legislature
providing for the taxing Of dogs for the
better protection of sheep. The bill was
introduced by member from ALLIE
gheny county and seems to have been
carfully prepared, in order to meet all
the present demands for the protection
of sheep from dogs.
When the bill came up last week
both our members, Messrs. Donly and
Ziegler, had something to say, Mr..
Donly taking the right side, that for
the sheep, and Mr.. Ziegler, We regret
to say, taking the wrong side and 60
ing with the dogs. The following are
their remarks on the bill as we find the
same in the Legislative Record:
Mr.. Donly. l am heartily in favor
of this bill / think we ought to do
something to curtail laughter1 this
sheep killing by dogs. The members
of the House seem to regard this bill as
of little importance; but for my part l
shall do all / can for it. 1t seems as
though many men, especially poor men,
consider that the more dogs they have
the better off they are. l was unfor-
tunate enough to be bitten by one
when l was off electioneering. laugh
ter I. Another thing, and | say this
in all earnestness, we ought to do
something to protect the sheep in our
State
There is no such law in this Com
monwealth at the present time that |
know Of If these ours are not taxed
the result will be that the farmers will
have great many sheep killed by
them. This is matter that ought to
be seriously considered by this Legis-
lature. 1t seems to be the occasion of
some levity; but heartily concur with
my friend from Allegheny MIR. Nes-
bit in his efforts to get this bill
through the House, and l for one, will
support it. l have not read it careful
ly, but / will vote for anything that is
against dogs; don't care what it is.
Laughter.
Mr.. Bierer. Did l understand the
gentleman to say that he was bitten by
a dog when he was off electioneering !?
Mr.. Donly. Yes.
Mr.. Bierer. Did the dog die !?
T laughter
Mr.. Donly. l hope so. laughter.
Mr.. Ziegler. l wish to ask the gen.
tleman from Washington, Mr. Van
kirk one question and it is this: Why
should you pass bill to tax dogs for
protection of sheep, when you arc not
taxed for sheep at all.
Mr.. Vankirk. At time in the ear
ly history of wool growing in this
country and in this State, it was deem
ed advisable, on the part of the Legis-
lature, to encourage and foster that in
dustry, in order that it might be able
to stand alone and become al import
ant industry in this Commonwealth.
There was competition and when sheep
were first introduced into Pennsyl-
yania, they deemed in best, in order to
encourage that interest of wool grow
ing, not to put any tax upon that
species of property, because, if they had
taxed it then, as other property was
taxed, they would have killed that in
dustry in its infancy, and it never
would have reached the prominence
that it enjoys at the present time.
Mr.. Ziegler. Up in my county we
refused to accept the law; and for the
simplest reason in the world. We
know that it is local option, and that
question has been submitted to our peo-
pie twice, the adoption of the law for
the protection of sheep There is
scarcely a farmer there but has few
sheep; nearly all of them have some,
but there are some persons in that
county that have large number of
sheep and yet do not pay one dollar of
tax; their sheep are farmed outj and
our people say, unless their sheep are
taxed along with the dogs, they will
not accept the law. They say let this
sheep property pay its proportion of
the tax into the county treasury, and
then we will tax the dogs to protect
them.