The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-01-20
II NO FENCE LAW
Plea for its Adoptions-Addi.
uonal Reasons Why This system
Should be Adopted

SCOTS Hill, N. Il, anuar 10.
Editors Messenger:
With your permission l will lay be-
fore the reading public a few addition
al reasons TO those given in my letter
of December 2Sth why a change should
be made in our present stock law.
The necessity for making a change in
the stock law of North Carolina as it
now exists is felt and appreciated by
a great many of our best and most in
fluential citizens, and the time is near
at hand when the no-fence advocates
will have a majority in every county
of this state. Fences will be abolished
and agriculture moved forward. No
cessity makes law and necessity is be-
hind this movement.
The fencing of large tracts of land
for years has consumed the planters
income and reduced him to want, not
w~ithstanding the fact that during that
time he has been a heavy producer.
A careful computation of the cost of
fence in any of our eastern counties
where the fence law prevails will re-
yea the fact that it is far in excess
of the value of stock in any such coun-
ty given the privileges of an open
range. This may be a surprise to some
but it is, nevertheless, true. If it is
true (and it can be proven) how foolish
and absurd it is to keep up these
fences. / do not think it an exaggera-
ton to say that in very many locali-
ties in this state the money spent for
fences would buy all the stock running
at large in such localities and leave a
surplus sufficient TO buy as much more.
The nrpSpnf stock law aS rpnpra11v
applied is a fruitful source Of neigh
bOrhood disturbances. One mans
stock either breaks down or Jumps
over another mans fence and preys
upon his growing crops and a quarrel
at Once begins, which often leads to
serious consequences. If every person
was required by law to fence his own
stock these troubles vol never oc-
cur.
One of the strongest reasons why the
present stock law should be abolished
is that it makes criminals out Of the
best n most Industrious citizens we
have. The law prescribes what shall
constitute a lawful fence. An investi-
cation will show that not n farmer
in twenty-five has a lawful fence. If
every farmer who raises crops under
an illegal fence was prosecuted in the
courts for a violation of law the liti-
cation on this line would be immense.
The expense of keeping up fence is so
heavy hat most farmers find il i'm
possible to till their fields and main
tain an Enclosure around them within
the limits of the law.
Since the great fall Of prices in agri-
cultural products much LAND thai was
formerly under tillage has been given
back to the wilderness because the
wherewfth to inclose it was not at
hand and could not be had.
Up to a few years ago the law re-
n11irod of thn "a rpanrC ;n a.
county a fence around their cultivated
fields five feet in height. The cost in
cident to keeping it up was so heavy
that the legislature was appealed to 10
lower 1t, which was done since. then
four feet has been al awful fence there.
This act of the legislature was a step
in the right direction. While 1T did
not abolish fences in that county en-
tirely, it really did abolish one-ffth of
them.
The present legislature would do a
wise thing to appoint or cause TO he
appointed committees in the several
counties of the state not covered by
a n%o-fence law, whose duties should BE-
to ascertain the cost of fences and the
value of stock running at large in any
such counties. If it should be found
by these committees that the fences
cost more money than the stock men
TONED is worth, or the contrary, in any
one, or in any number of them, valu-
able for future considera-
ton will have been secured. These COM
mittees will not be hard to obtain, nor
will their labors be expensive. Every
county this year will employ in its sew
eral townships committees for the valu-
alton of real and personal property for
taxation. These committees can. while
in the discharge of their ordinary du-
ties, also value fences and stock given
the privileges of an open range. In
view of the fact that contests for and
against a change of the stock law I'm
many counties are hal every two years
statistics Of this kin should be on
hand.
r. K. BRYAN, Jr.