The morning news., 1899-11-18
THE DOG LAW 1NDoRsED.
Savannah Merchants Hope the Bill
VIII Pass.

VII IaAHs
The news Of the passage Of the dog law,
or more properly speaking. the anti-dOs
law, by the lower house of the general as
sembly with che announcement that It will
probably become a law. was received with
great satisfaction by the business men Of
Savannah who are interested in the wool
business.
The Bay street merchants. it is true,
are only Interested as wool buyers, but
they have long viewed with regret che
backward state of the wool Industry in
Georgia, because they saw in its develop
ment the prospect of much added pros
perity for themselves and their customers
''Wool growing should be one Of the
leading industries of South Georgia" said
Mr. S. Guckeuheimer, whose firm prob
ably receives more wool than any in this
section of the state. Mr.. Guckenheimer
was experimenting the weighing of sew
eral large bales OF Georgia wool when
seen about the bill. The bales were about
the same size and pretty much the same
appearance as an uncompressed bale Of
cotton, but much heavier, weighing be-
tween 800 and 800 pounds each. Mr..
Guckenheimer explained that one of the
differences between wool and cotton was
that these bales were worth about $475
each.
Wool growing is about the most profit
able business the Southern farmer can
engage In" said he. for the reason that
it is all profit. There is plenty of range
and the sheep run wild the year round,
being herded only once a year for shear
ing Wool is now bringing IS to q cents
4 Naaa
man who has a large flock. The sheep
increase very rapidly, IL protected from
dogs. This has been the great trouble
heretofore, and with the passage of the
bin placing a tax on dogs, I look for an
immediate development in the sheep grow
ing industry
Mr. A. Ehrlich. who also deals largely
in wool. gave the proposed law his hearty
endorsement. THE worthless dogs have
kept down the sheep industry in this sec
ton" said Mr. Ehrlich. 'If the counties
of south Georgia win take advantage of
the Jaw and enforce its terms there will
be an immediate increase in The number
of sheep. one worthless cur will destroy
a valuable flock of sheep in a night. The
sheep is one Of the most helpless animals
that lives. They make no attempt to de-
fend themselves from dogs and when
dog has pulled down one sheep the other
members Of the flock simply stand and
gaze on instead Oh bcuTTylnB away 10 Il
place of safety. The sheep business Is all
profit. The farmer gels a good price for
his wool, the young lambs are in demand
and so are the pelts. Get rid of the dogs
and sheep raising will he "A fourishing in
dustry in this section. 1t is already consid-
erable in a few counties. bought $4,4O0
worth of wool from one man last season"
The Georgia wool, Mr.. Ehrlch explain
ed, brings low price because il is of low
grade With the assurance Of better con-
ditions, which would be afforded by the
dog law, he said, the sheep raisers would
have some inducement to import better
stock and improve their breeds with a
view of producing a higher grade of wool
and thus securing better prices.
Merchants not interested In the wool bus
mess were inclined to regard the dog law
as a subject for humor until its intention
was explained to them when they readily
agreed that The law was desirable one
The discrimination which the bii makes
between the male and female CANNES was
frequently commented upon, however, the
bill providing that the males shall be
taxed only 81, while a tax of S1.50 must Re
paid for each female canine. A well known
politician remarked that The result of this
discrimination would be that all dogs re-
turned for taxation would be males.