The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-07-15
IS LIFE OR DEATH TO THEM
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE WIRES
THING WITH DOG QUESTION

Has Been In Operation During
the Last Four Years Admitted a
Failure-InfOrmati ms to How
the Question Is Dealt With Else
where to BE Obtained.
The dog license question was dis
cussed for couple of hours by and
before the assembly committee on
streets last evening. 1t was pretty
clearly understood when the commit
tee adjourned that there would be no
action taken, at least this season, for
the annual dog catch. The committee
adjourned for one week to await infor-
nation and data to be furnished by
William Ely Bramhall as to the plan
pursued in Eastern cities, by which the
licensing, capture and disposition of
dogs is turned over to the humane So
cieties. Present at the meeting last
night were Assemblymen Albrecht,
Warner, Craig and Benson, Mayor Kie-
fer, F. B. Doran, Chief Goss, Health
Commissioner Stone, John A. Moak and
William Ely Bramhall representing the
Humane society.
The matter came before the commit
| tee on the resolution authorizing the
mayor to appoint six dog catchers at
| $50 per month and five men with teams
aiid WdSOIlS dl per Qdy To cOlleCC
licenses and gather in the unlicensed
! CANNES.
Assemblyman Albrecht said that the
! system in operation for the past few
years had been practically a failure.
In 1896 there had been 1926 licenses
issued, and the total receipts amounted
to $4,635, which amount was greater
| than last year, when 1880 dog licenses
had been issued and the receipts
amounted to $685. He further stated
| that there were about 5000 dogs in
| the city, and, If this was correct, it
was evident that a large number es-
! capped not only the tax, but the dog
! catcherS.
! Former Mayor Doran was called on to
| give his experience, and also to make
such suggestions as he might wish to
| make on the question. Mr.. Doran was
of the opinion that the licensing of
fewer and the destruction of more dogs
would be better for the city. He had
seen or heard 1t stated that the more
dogs in city or locality, the less civ
lllzation. Judged from this standpoint,
| st. Paul did not rank very high His
| experience had been that, under the
dog catcher system as operated be-
| tore he took charge of the city affairs,
there had been considerable fraud. The
catchers sold animals and offered to
pass by dogs, the owners of which
| would pay them so cents or more.
When he assumed the office Of mayor
IN 1896 he paid particular attention to
the class of men appointed as dog
catchers and the police assisted in the
| census, the result being that a greater
revenue was collected that year than
| ever before. In 1897 the revenue was
| considerably less. He favored the DO
lice taking census of the dogs and
then If the city had the right to levy
a tax having the city clerk from the
| census taken, notify the owners or
Keepers to come in and pay the license
Ii they did not, then take out a war
rant and fine them. The MINNEAPOLIS
plan the former mayor did not think
was the correct one, as the catcher
there was paid percentage on the
number of dogs destroyed, and the
temptation was to make the fee rather
than the city should make the license.
his father had often told him when
the question of mans honesty came
up for discussion that if the man was
honest 1T was best to keep him so. He
thought this would also apply to police
officers, and especially if they were in
| terested in the dog catching business. /.
mblyman Benson brought out
| the fact that under the ordinance
| passed last year the police were re-
CURED to make a dog census.
Mayor Kiefer being called on said his
IDEA was to increase the revenue and
get rid Of the worthless dogs. His
pan would be to have the police make
census OF the dogs, return the lists
to the city clerk and have that official
notify the owners to come in and nav
the license. If this was not done. send
out the dog catchers and bring the
unlicensed animals to a pound, where
they could be disposed of. By this plan.
his honor said, the city would realize
| a handsome sum and at the same time
the city would be purified
| Assistant Corporation ATTORNEY Tay-
| LOT informed the committee that under
the charter the council was only given
authority to prevent the running at
| large OF dogs and only such dogs as run
| at large could be either taxed or de-
| stroyed. All ordinances which the
| far.
Chief Goss said that as soon as the
decision of the municipal court in the
sphinx case had been rendered last wear
| IT was impossible for the dog catchers
TO collect enough licenses to paw the
| expenses. The decision was that onIv
doss running at large could be taxed O,
taken In charge by the dog catchers
and that a dog on the street with {ts
owner or keeper did not come within
the definition of running at large. The
proper plan, Chief Goss said, was that
IN operation in MINNEAPOLIS. where
there was one dog catcher the year
around and about $40 was paid into
the city each year. This plan. how
! ever, could not be adopted here, OWNS
| 10 the limited power the charter gave
| the council
| william Ely Bramhall said there was
no doubt that under the present charter
! the council had not the power to tax
! dogs which were not running at large
| Neither could dogs be captured and
killed unless they were running at
| large. The people were aware of this
| and for this reason the revenue from
| licenses had fallen off. The Catching
| and disposing of dogs in st. Paul was
/ lnhuman. Men were appointed dog
catchers for political reasons only. and
the methods employed by them in
catching and disposing of the animals
mad been of the greatest cruelty. In
+; ether cities the licensing, Capturing
and disposition of dogs was turned
/ over to the humane societies, and in
! cities where this had been inaugurated
| the societies had collected more money
| than under the police and dog catcher
| system. The revenue from the licenses
| mad been turned over to the societies on
| the ground that they were benefactors
| to the cities and localities If this
! could be done under the charter the ST
Paul society would take charge of the
! work here. At any rate the next leg
1slature would be asked to pass a gen
eral law on this line covering all cities
| He did not believe there were IS 600
dogs IN st. Paul, and thought
| about 5000 would ha nooran