Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1911-02-02
VOL.44
That Proposed Gun Tax.

| wish to reply to an article publish
ed in your paper, Jan. 26, 1911, refer
ing to Uhe item relating to the propos-
ed "gun taxi under the caption of
Sinnamahoning news items and signed
"Debse." This item | regard as libel
on the citizens of our locality and do
not hesitaJo to say that it has no stand
ing in fact A few days ago a petition
was circulated here addressed TO the
Hon. josiah Howard and the Hon. }.
K. p. Hall, asking the above named
gentlemen to use their best endeavors
to defeat the proposed gun tax law"
should it come before the legislative
bodies to which they were elected.
This petition was gotten up by business
men and circulated by respectable peo-
pie, who are property owners and tax
payers. 1t was signed by SO per cent.
of all the people to which it was pre-
sented. The following is list of
few of the names that appear upon this
petition:
V. E. Crum, merchant; Rev. r. w.
Runyan, pastor of NJ. E. Church; Hon.
]. A. Wykoff, Associate Judge; NJ. V.
Crum, merchant; V. A. Brooks, Sur
veyor; o. L. Bailey, hotel owner and
proprietor; J. H. Krebs, merchant; j.
F. Wolfe, merchant; Hon. ID. p. Baird,
merchant; Chas. COUNSEL, merchant;
Fulton Brothers, painters and decora-
tors; Fl. B. Lightner, bookkeeper' in
Crum Bros general store; Jas. Wykof,
j. P; w. Ii. VanWert, Supt. K. N. p.
Co.; A. L. Ensign, Assistant Supt.;
Joseph Bailey, of the Cameron Powder
Co.; Henry Wheaton, Supt. of Cam
eron Powder Co; Douglass Mccall,
Foreman K. N. P. Co.; N. Slim, mer-
chant; J. H. Baird, R. R. Agent; j. V.
Strayer, Geo. Darrin, F. l.. Miller, E.
f. Smith, j. G. Johnson and many
other equally as good citizens as the
above named.
Mr.. "Debse" seems to be responsible
for the very extraordinary statement
that the people of our locality who are
opposed to gun tax law, where lot
of loafers and that their only occupa-
tion was whiting boxes, eating
prunes, stealing cabbage and sitting
on hotel stoops. do not wish to com
ment on the above statement, but ! do
wish to say that as long as the game
department employs men in whom the
public has no confidence or seeks to
defend an unjust cause through the in
fiuence of some fellow who wants a
Job, Just so long will all their efforts be
in vain, and the peoples money
sqandered We also note that your
correspondent tries to defend the cruel
and inhuman practice of catching bear
in steel traps but failed to state that
fishing and trapping adds materially
to his income each year.
Now, if the people are to be consult
ed in these important matters, kindly
allow me to make a few suggestions,
which will meet with almost universal
approval in our locality, viz: Limit
the bear hunting season to two weeks
beginning and ending with the deer
hunting season. This would give the
illegitimate hunter no excuse to hunt
before or after season. Place a high
bounty on all animals that destroy
game or game birds. Let the Com
monwealth provide the Department of
Forestry with sufficient funds to en-
able them to protect our forests from
destruction by fire and by so doing
prevent the destruction of nesting
birds and small game. The small
underground would soon grow large
enough to furnish ample, as well as
natural protection TO all game. Give
us back our forests with all the bless
ings of restored climate and eliminate
to a degrees the great danger of high
floods. I'm conclusion | wish to say
that we regard the proposed gun tax
law as unjust. unnecessary, un-Ameri-
canIand an encro1chment upon our con-
stitutional rights as citizens of this
great Commonwealth.
CITIZEN AND TAX PAYER
Sinnamahouing, Pa, Jan. 3OJh, 1911.