The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-12-17
ITS AFFAIRS N ORDER
The Board Of Stock Commissioners
Hold Their Semi-Annual
Meeting.
Gov. Richards Will Have the Duty
OF Naming Their Suc~
cessors.
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The Woif scourge Discussed and Active
Measures 70 BE for Ex-
termination.

The board Of stock commissioners which
has been In session since Wednesday. con-
oludsd its business yesterday and I'D
journed. Those present we're John Bislen-
berg, Of Deer Lodge; q. s. Hobson, OF Fer
gus; b. Rumney, Of Cascade; Joseph Scott,
OF Custer; David Fratt. OF Msagher, and
Secretary Preuitt. President Myers. who
never misses . meeting and who expected
to be present, received a telegram the day
he was going 70 start for Helena that ne
cessitated his going east. 30 he was unable
TO be present, The board only transacted
routine business and got it's affairs In shape
TO turn over to the new board that will DO
appointed by Gov. Richards. The report
OF the state veterinarian. DR.. Herbert Hol-
loway, showed that live stock in Montana
were in . healthy condition. The ravages
committed by wolves during the year were
among the subjects discussed and il was
deemed advisable that this members of the
board use their influence TO have
the next Legislature increase the bounty
on wolves to So a head. Several members
of the board gave instances of the destrpc-
ton done by wolves. In one case twenty
calves we're killed in one band and fifteen
in another by the brutes. In Choteau
county the atookmen have formed a society
and are paying s. for every gray wolf
killed within q specified district In that
county.
Only those people in the stock business
know how destructive the gray wolves have
become. A Dawson county correspondent
Of the S~tockQrowers' Journal says that
utoah an &ha ara xuo l., rr., la%&n-
condition than now. and il appearances fail
not they will winter we'll, for the ranges
are covered with a luxurious carpet of grass
which has been protected againgt tho in
roads Of prairie fire. Thu greatest menace
to the stock interests, however, is wolves.
Grown cattle are not exempt from their at
tacks. while the bounty on them 10 no more
than on the coyote and entirely insufficient
to guarantee their determination. Stock
men are continually waging war with these
pests, but as long rs the bounty remains 81
it now is no other attempt will aver be
made to extsrminate them.
The volt pest ia one which bsGets the
stock interests in all parts of the north-
west. At q meeting Of ranchmen held in
Macleod, Alberta, the other day, they voted
q bounty of S. on wolves and levied q ter
| of 20 cents per head on all colts ana 1e
cents ON calves of 1892 with which to meet
the bounty. Their estimate in that every
wolf in abe county kills $50 worth of cattle
and colts per year. This estimate 10 very
moderate. and no doubt any ranoher il
Montana would put the loss at a muot
higher figure, 80 that the necessity for ac-
tion is apparent, and If some relief is no
found by an increased bounty by the stata
the association will have to take the matte
In hand and by assessment Of it's member
begin b work of determination. Thi
method Ia. of course, unfair. for those VIII,
do not contribute to the work are bsnefite,
to the same extent as those who have born
the burden of its cost.
The members of tho board reported tn
ranges in good condition and cattle dom,
. we'll. The only fear 10 that the ranges ar
becoming o~vercrowded, and that in case o
a hard winter there would DO heavy losse
all around.