The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1898-10-29
THE QUESTION OF BOUN7IES.

For a number of years past ther
has been law on the statute books
Oregon that provides that the count.
court of any county in the state ma.
offer and pay bounty for the destruc
tion of certain wild animals, out of th'
general funds of the county. In com
pliance Herewith, most of the count.
courts have offered nominal scall
bounties for coyotes, wild cats, bear
cougars, etc., and as result, the sew
efal counties have paid out large sums
of money on the scalps of such ami
mails. In most Instances the bounty
mas been so small that it has not beer
an inducement for hunters and trap
pers to wage war upon these animals
but whenever one is killed the scal[
is presented to the county court, and
the party killing the animal has drawn
from the general fund the amount oi
the bounty. ::
By this method the taxpayers have
been taxed to pay certain sums for the
scalps of such animals as would natur.
ally be killed, bounty or no bounty,
while the number of destructive ami
mails has not been 'decreased mater
ialfy. The fault in the operation OF
this law has been and still is that the
matter is left optional with county
courts, and they have acted as they
saw fit in the premises, Offering just
such scalp bounties as they chose, max
ing no uniformity in the matter.
What is needed is, a uniform law
throughout the state governing the
payment of scalp bounties. 1t is a
matter in which every business inter-
est Of the state is directly concerned,
for destructive animals, such as coy
otes, wild cats, bear and cougars prey
upon the stock of the farmers reduce
ing their income to the extent of the
animals they have killed. Then since
the entire business interests of the
state must depend upon the prosperity
Of the farmer, for when he is prosper.
GUS all others are prosperous, it is to
the interest of all to bear the burden
of protecting his property to reason
able extent.
Tits estimated that evey year wild
animals kill 500, 600 worth of young
cattle, horses, hogs; sheep and chick
ems in the state.~-Were this destruct-
ion prevented by the killing of the de-
animals, that slOO, 900 worth
Of propeety would be saved to the far
mers. and would eventually get into
the usnal channel OF trade. from which
I'll would derive benefit. Therefore
cannot every industry In the. state
afford to bear its. proportion Of the
burden OF taxation to prevent the
wanton destruction of property?
A bill has been prepared for pre-
sentation to the regular session of the
'egislature that proposes to create a
fund for bounties to be
paid for the sealps OF destructive
By she segyingof,a a tax Of one
,ent per head on au cassle. hogs and
heep in the stase and an additional,
ak of one-fourth of q mill on all prop.
rty. By the provision of this bill a /
inform scalp bounty would be paid all |
Fer the state, and An amounts suff- I
lent to induce persons to make
asiness OF killing destructive Animals
'hish would in afew years. result in
heir annihilation. The intent of the
ill Is good, but Che manner OF GREAT
ng the fund is somewhat unjust. The
ax should not be levied specially upon
ny class or classes of property, but up.
q all property alike. True the stock
aisers would derive the direct bene-
t from the operation of the law, but
II branches of business would derive
indirect benefit. We levy taxes for
maintaining branches of government {
nd institutions that cannot be of 4
eDeral benefit to all. yet every tax
aver must bear his share of the bur. {
an. Then a messure that ia to (
lrectly benefit the farmers who are |
lo predominant clement In the state,
lould be maintained by "a general
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