Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1901-07-19
Tho Migratory Sheep Tsx.

States Circuit Court in San Fran
cisco this week issued an order which
will be of great interest to sheep
men who use mountain ranges dur
ing, the summer. Several Of the
mountain counties have a special
tax of 10 cents per head on all sheep
and lambs in the county owned by
non-residents. The case in question
was brought by p. J. Flanagan
against Sierra county and August
Burch, License Collector of that
county, for an order restraining
them from collecting this tax on 3d.
600 sheep on plaintiff. Judge Nor
row granted the order on the
ground that the tax is unconstitu-
tional, as it discriminates in favor
of resident owners and does not i'm
pose a license on hogs, cattle or
horses grazing in that county and
owned by non-residents.-Galt
Gazette.
If this decision prevails, and there
is Ito reason to believe that it will
not be sustained, our nsighboring
county of Alpine will be in bad fix.
Considerable of the revenue of that
county is derived from the tax or
license on migrating stock-sheep
and cattle driven there to pasture
during the summer, when natural
feed is plentiful in the high Sierras,
and scarce in the lowlands. With
out this source of income, it is
doubtful whether Alpine would be
able to sustain county organiza-
ton. Amador county, If we are not
mistaken, once passed law impos-
ing tax on stock passing through
this county to summer quarters.
But we find no ordinance OF that
character in force now. If it was
ever enforced. it soon became so OBJ.
noxious that it was quickly dropped.
At the present time. however,
there is law on the ordinance book
requiring all persons engaged in the
business of raising sheep or goats to
pay an animal license for the priv.
lege. according to the size of the
herd. Those having band of 5000
or more, must pay $3.50 per year. or
at the rate of 5 cents per head. The
schedule of cents per head is main.
tanned down to 1900 sheep or goats,
the demand of the county from the
owner of that number or less, being
SIS. This peculiar ordinance was
passed in April, 1899. It was
deemed of such vital Importance
that a special meeting of the board
OF supervisors was held to enact 1t.
1t appears to have been the time
when there was o decided boom in
the business of making local laws.
Whether this ordinance has ever
been enforced we do not know. fit
has we have no hesitation in brand
ing it as one of the most unjust and
uncalled for measures ever adopted
in the county. What have the
sheep and goats done to incur the
legislative hostility of Am ador
county? A man may engage in the
business of raising cattle, or horses,
or hogs, or even worthless dogs
without paying license; but when it
comes to the useful sheep or goat,
the owner must pungle up cents
per head per annum. This is of
course in addition to the regular tax
for state and county purposes, which
amounts to about 5 cents per head.
So that in Amador county the sheep
man'is called upon to pay about 10
cents per head per annum on his
stock-which amounts to fully four
per cent of the value of his flock.
With the raiser of goats it is much
worse. What industry could flourish
under such throttling process.
We say again, that we do not know
whether the license collector has
paid any attention to this ordinance.
But whether he has or has not, the
credit of Amador county would
stand better in the eyes of the out
side world if the blue pencil were
drawn over this ordinance,