Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1907-07-12
A DOG TAX.
The County Commissioners Have The
Power To Levy The Tax.
Also To Reimburse Sheep And Cattle
Losers.

Losers.
Mr.. EdttOr:-I read In the last issue O
The Sentinel card from Mr.. John H. Jan
ney, secretary of committee appointed by
the Farmers Convention of Montgomery
County, stating that the farmers OF the
county are unanimously in favor of a dog tax
and calling the attention of candidates for
the legislature to the public sentiment upor
the subject. The proceedings of the Bethesdt
Citizens Association, In the same issue o
your paper, indicate that the people of thai
section are OF the same opinion.
venture to suggest, that If the sentiment
of the county is as unanimous as the inves
tigation made by the committee of the
Farmers Convention indicates, there is nc
occasion TO make political issue OF the
matter, or to consume any Of the time OF the
legislature, as there is now upon the statute
books ample law to meet the case In the
most satisfactory manner.
The Code of Public General Laws oil
Maryland, Article %, title County Com.
missioners," Section 3, In defining the pow.
ers OF County Commissioners, provides,
among other things, that "theY shall also
have power to levy tax or license fee upon
dogs and bitches owned, kept or harbored
within their respective counties, and to pro.
vide for the enrolment of said dogs and
bitches and the collection of the tax or H.
cense fee there on; and out Of the tax OF
license fee so collected, they may provide
for rembursing owners Of sheep or cattle
for losses sustained by the killing of sheep
or cattle by dogs and bitches other than
those owned, kept or harbored by the owner
OF said sheep or CATTLE"
1t would be impossible for the legislature
to give more adequate power In the premises,
and there can be little doubt that If the pro.
per evidence of the wishes Of the farmers,
and others, of the county were presented to
the Commissioners, the relief sought would
be promptly forthcoming.
1t would seem to be entirely feasible to
appoint committees in each election district
to obtain signatures to petitions to the Coun
ty Commissioners, and the result would be
much more satisfactory and more speedy
than anything that could be accomplished
by political campaign. Indeed, one OF the
purposes of the general law quoted above
was to remove the subject from politics and
place 1t where the local sentiment could
control it promptly and efficiently.
The Commissioners, no doubt, would be
glad to have the views and corporation OF
the committee of the Farmers Convention,
and of citizens generally, in the formulation
of plan for the taxation of dogs and the
reimbursng OF owners Of sheep and cattle for
their losses The details of such plan are
not difficult, and the initial expense could
be betrayed from the specific tax without
increasing the county rate.
A further advantage Of this general law
is that any defect in the plan, or any fault
in the administration Of it, can be gu ickly
remedied by the County Commissioners,
whereas defect in special law passed by
the legislature would have to remain until
the re assembling of that body, and 1t might
be a defect which would render the law, for
the time being, nugatory.
Everything considered, therefore, there is
already ample law for the taxing of dogs,
and the people of the county have only to
bestr themselves to get what they want
without delay and without the necessity of a
political contest with Its uncertainties and
its inevitable animosities.