The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-16
UP GOES DOC TAX
City Council Plans to More
Than Double Fee.
Keeping Dog to Be Made an
Expensive Luxury.
PAYS THE CITY WELL.
Has Already Collected Nearly
$4,000 This Year.
Talk of Increasing Amount to
So and $40.
PAYS THE CITY WELL.

Now that the dog season of 1903 is
about ended, and the city has gathered
in so far total of s., 800 in dog licenses,
the determination of some of the mem
bers of the council to increase the
license on dogs to SO on males and 81
on females before the beginning of next
year has been reasserted, and a new
dog license law, to go into effect Jam
uary 1. 1904, is likely to be passed by
the council very shortly.
Dog Catcher and Dog License Col
lector YOunkin is about ready to make
the annual report of his work. So far
it shows the total number of licenses
paid to have been 1,5SS, of which 1,520
were male and IS female. The male
licenses brought in $3.50 and the fe-
male Melted $340
There was $1,051 paid at the office of
the city treasurer. Mcconnell and
Allen, the old dog tax collectors, turn
ed in $4S and $74 respectively before
being let out by the present admins
tratiOn. NJ. f. Younkin has been work
ing three months. and has collected
$6S7.
For the past three years the amount
received from dog licenses is as follows:
1901 .....-.......... $z,OoO
1SOz --..--......-.' --'---''''' 1ooo
1903 ...-........-... ...........---.- l,eoO
Mr.. Younkin thinks that before
January 1 he will be able to collect
enough more dOS licenses 10 DIliIS l1lo
total for 1903 to a higher mark than it
was in 1901, when Hughes hired half
dozen collectors to get the tax, and
spent a large portion of all that was
taken in in this system.
1t has cost less the past year to col
lect the dog tax than for many years
This is because such a large number of
licenses were paid at the city treasurer's
office People were scared into paying
their dog license by the avowed lnten-
ton of the city council to raise the dog
license. Then the council got tangled
up with G.. c. Clemens and the Humane
society over the provisions of the or
dinance, and nothing was done. The or
dinances was allowed to remain In us
old form.
Younkin has had the unpleasant task
of shooting dogs without owners Will
ing to pay the license. In the three
months he has been at work he mas
lieve that anything would be gained
by adopting the Humane society meth
cd of chloroforming dogs. He says;
Il can kill a dog a great deal quicker
with revolver than anybody can WIN WIN
chloroform. If a person knows exactly
how to shoot a dog. it is an easy mat
ter to kill with the first shot. l know
that while l have been doing this work
| have not crippled any dogs by shoot
ing at them They are all dead that
shot at / shoot down through the
center of the top of the head. the ball
coming out under the neck The shot
breaks the backbone and causes in
slant DEATH
The work of collecting dog tax be-
gins anew each year on January On
that day all the old tags expire. and
the city is entitled to collect another
license and issue new tags. Conse-
uuently the, increase in the dog license
is to be made to begin on that date.
1t seems to be the general sentiment
of the councilmen that So and 81 is
high enough for license. though some,
who believe that dogs are an unneces-
sary luxury and should be driven out,
want the fee fixed at So and so.
With fee of SO for every male dog,
there would be a large increase in the
revenue from dog tags. 1t is believed
that this fee would not be large enough
to cause many people to sacrifice their
dogs, though there might be tend
ency to cut down some on the dog pop
ulation.
The dog tax is high enough in To-
peka now. That is a poor source for
revenue.