The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-07-25
COUNTY OFFICIALS
READY FOR TAYLOR
Appear Nonehalant Over Dog
tt But Fire Turks Below
Surface.
SAID BEGIN To STAY THEM
---~-~-..---r-
Regard the Matter as Joke, But
Are Ready to Take Up
Up Controversy.
SAID BEGIN TO STAY THEM


! While the general public is exhibit
! ing more than usual interest in the
impending controversy between the
| county officials and Agent Taylor, of
! the Society for the Prevention of
/ Cruelty TO Animals. the principals In
| the same, at least on one side. are
treating the matter with the utmost
nonchalance.
Everything Is smooth in the coun-
~. and the officials are unruffied over
the strong language Of Agent Taylor
In his interview published Saturday.
| From present indications the officials
of the county are inclined to ignore
any statement that Agent Taylor may
make and will continue to enforce the
law as they see it, and as it is put
before them In the Code.
Treasurer Heckler seems In a most
amiable mood even in the face of the
opposition that is promised him, and
declared Monday that he was not ex
pecting any rumpus with the society
or Agent Taylor.
Soon Begin to hill.
AS matter of fact" said Treas
urer Heekler, mo dogs have been kill
ed as yet, but some will be killed
pretty soon. / have sent for Consta-
BILE Bureh to-day and expect him in
my office this morning; when he
comes he will handed a bunch of dog
tax bills and directed to go out and
collect them. 1t will be the duty of
the constable to see all the dog own
ers whose names | give him, and If
they do not pay their taxes, the Code
provides that he shall kill their dog
or dogs forthwith. If he falls to
do this" said Mr.. Heckier, at is only
necessary to consult the Code to see
what will be done to him.
Il hope Burch will kill few dogs
at once" continued the treasurer,
since I would like to see them ar
under some of the city laws or any
other laws, for that matter.
II would be very glad for Mr.. Tay-
ler to take the matter up and pay
some of the taxes to save the lives
of the dogs We need the money and
can find plenty of use for 1t in pay
Ing the owners of live dogs for losses
through the depredations of dogs as
provided by the Code. We will give
Mr.. Taylor a good chance to pay out
some money as there are over two
Supervisors Amused.
the taxes have not yet been paid"
The matter of the do taxes was
informally discussed by the Board of
Supervisors Monday, who were In SEES
sion on another matter Several Of
them referred 10 the matter of inter-
ference by the Society for the Pre-
vention of Cruelty to Animals as a
good Joke.
None of them could be brought to
express himself for publication, but
a prominent member of the board
said that any attempt on the part of
the society to interfere with the car
rying out of the law In regard to the
collection of dog taxes In the county
could be nothing more than a huge
joke. The only kind of interference
that will be permissible will be that
of putting up the cash fer the taxes,
and we don't care who does this.
whether 1t Ia the owners or the So
ciety for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals said the member.
County Means Business.
The dog tax question In the coun-
ty Ii one of no small moment, and
was recently the chief question before
several special meetings of the board
of supervisors. 1t 10 claimed by the
board that the constables have been
lax In their duties in collecting the
taxes and killing dogs. and that the
county treasury has suffered as a re-
suit
For some time the board was cast
ing around for some way 20 solve the
difficulty, and to get the dog taxes In.
AT last 1t was proposed that dog taxes
be placed upon the personal property
tax slips. and DO paid At the same
time.
Treasurer Hsokler objected to this
on the grounds that 1t was contrary
to Law, would necessitats n change
in the accounting system and would
be generally Objectionable. Nevarthe-
less. the board at subsequent meet
ing adopted the plan and ordered
Treasurer Heekler to make the
change.
This controversy is still impending,
and promises some interesting devel-
.opments. .fhe commissioners of the
revenue declares that he will not in
olude the dog taxes on tina State books
with the personal property, and says
that the treasurer cannot put nay
thing on the books OF the county ( 7
the personal tax slips that are not
taken from the State books. That a
where the matter stands nov, and
4when the time comes to post up the
County tax books there will be trca.
BILE of some kind between the treas
urer and the supervisors.
In view of the difficulty in collect
ing the taxes and the alleged care
lessness OF the county constables in
doing their duty in this connection
the supervisors are likely 10 take
some strong action II the Society for
; the Prevention Of Cruelty to Animals
|, starts anything when the fireworks
begin. - 1920 ------->--