The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-31
OPPOSING IAE- MOZzLE
A Monster Petition u the District
Commissioners Prepared.
An Adjourned Meeting of Citizens of
Washington in National Rifles
Armory-..OOo Names to IA Request
to Rescind the Recent Ordinance
Humane Society and the Pound.

An enthusiastic meeting of citizens of
Washington Interested in the resembling
of the obnoxious dog muzzlng order of the
District Commissioners. was held last
night at the National Rifles Hall. The
meeting was largely attended by repre-
sentative men and women of the city. and
| action was taken looking TO the relief Of
the CANNES from the wearing of muzzles
while at large in the streets Of the Dis
trict.
G. W. Evans presided. and in calling the
meeting to order. stated that it was an ad-
journed session of the gathering on Tues
DAY, at which business OF importance was
left incomplete. He explained that the
discussion of the situation by friends of
the deg in Washington had been so spon-
taneous and interesting at the previous
meeting that it had been necessary TO call
d second meeting in order TO complete the
programme mapped out by the instigators
Of the effort TO accomplish the resembling
of the muzzling ordinance.
Good Work of the Press.
Mr. Evans spoke of the good work done
by the press in the campaign against the
Objectionable law. In his opinion. the local
papers. and especially The Times had been
on the side of the people against what he
considered the unlawful assumptions OF the
powers that be- Reference was also made
TO the stand Senator Gallinger had taken
against the order of the District Commits
Sioners, and Mr.. Evans congrai ulated the
citizens present on the progress which TIE
movement had made at the centre OF all
authority in the District-of Columbia Mr..
Evans hoped that nothing would be said
| or done that would cast slur upon the
District Commissioners. He thought that
appeals TO their good sense would be
vastly more effective. and that the
petition which had been circulated and
so generally signed, together with reso-
lutions declaring the sense of the citizens
meeting. was all that could be expected by
way of making an impression upon the
minds of the Commissioners.
Mr.. Evans stated that as a result Of
the circulating Of petitions since the last
meeting about two thousand signatures had
been obtained.
The chairman then read a communica-
ton he had sent to the District Commits
sioners and it's reply. His communication
asked specific information on five points
relative to the dog pound and the i'm
pounding of dogs. These points were: The
amount received from the dog tax throLgh
the selling of license tags; the amount
received from the redemption of tagged
dogs at the pound; the amount received
for dead dogs and skins; the cost of the
impounding service. and the authority OF
law by which fee Of 81 is charged for
the redemption Of a tagged dog at the
pound.
The Comm issiOPcrs' Reply.
The reply of the Commissioners was also
read, in which they say that the amount
received from the sale of dog tags from
July l. 1899 to March IS, 1900, was s16,-
1854. The amount received from pound
fees is given at $1,410.35 1t is further
stated that there is TO revenue received
from the sale Of dead dogs or their skins,
as such carcasses or skins are without
value in the District OF Columbia.
The expenses OF the regular pound serv-
ice were stated as follows from July /,
1893, 10 March 80. 1860:
salaries $40 %
Contingent expenses. AZ 10
TOTAL ---.-. -............-.......S2iSS 10
Extra pound service:
SALARIES Observation-Disclosures. si2S ~
Contingent expenses. 80 81
Total .........-............... 2ls 81
The Commissioners further stated that in
view of the fact that the only appropriation
made specifically for the pound service is
the salary of the Poundmaster. and as
there had not been sufficient time in which
TO prepare a schedule of the assets and LA
bilities properly belonging to this service.
it was impossible to state its exact cost
within the time sci by the enquirer
II was further stated that no additional
fee of 81 had ever been charged for the re-
demption of a tagged dog caught and i'm
pounded because OF not wearing muzZle
The usual pound fee of 81 is charged for
the release of every dog. whether tagged
or not. by authority of an act of Congress
approved June 10, 1878.
Mr. Evans declared that TO his mind the
reply of the Commissioners did not clear
up the difficulty. Accordingly. he read in
full the act of 1878 which seemed 10 show
that it contained no authorization for the
charge exacted al the pound in case of a
tagged dog.
Mrs. Henderson's Letter.
Letters of regret were then read from
several persons who were absent chief
among them being one from Mrs. Mary
Foote Henderson. who stated that among
the 900 900 population of the District 24g
80 were friends of the dog and unanimous
against the muZzle order of the Commits
siOners In a highly humorous manner
Mrs Henderson declared that there were
several things the 249.9i5 wanted to know
one OF tnsfn WAS INC dutuOlitS LOT Inc Cd
noXious order; another was what reason
there was even 10 suspect that there was
rabies in the District, and finally. whether
the yellow dog said TO have come from
Maryland bringing !he disease with him
was still citizen or whether he had been
sent to the happy hunting grounds. Mrs.
Henderson also advanced the opinion thai
if the District was annually in receipt of
S20, 000 from he dog tax better accommo-
dations should be provided for the i'm
prisoned CANNES.
After considerable discussion. which be-
came general it was determined by vote
that the petition circulated. requesting the
District Commissioners TO rescind he muz-
zle order. which now bears about 1000
signatures be sent To the Commissioners
The chairman was authorized to appoint
a committee of five to pay a visit to the
Commits and to present the petit
tion. A resolution was also passed en-
bodying the sense sof the meeting 10 the
effect that the care of the dog pound
should be entrustedsto the Humane Society
of the District of Columbia.
Points OF Interest Brought Out.
In the course of the discussion upon
these resolutions D. 5. Strahan said that
he thought the District authorities we're
unwarrantedly Occupying Twenty-third
Street with the buildings of the dog pound.
Jack McMurry. a trainer of dogs. thought
we'll of the Humane Society as a whole.
but declared that il was dominated too
much by crank who had secured mem
bership In it. and he was doubtful about