Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1914-03-05

W
this county and s427 was retufhed as
insoIyent and released. In 1912 the
total tax levied was 1892. and 1926
was returned as released and insol-
vent. The reduction in the levy for
1912 is explained by the fact that the
owners OF over one hundred and fifty
dogs preferred to killthem rather than
pay the tax imposed.
After the payment of costs of col
lection, and making the reduction for
ipsolvent releases, N the payment of
1898 for sheep killed by the dogs, the
net sum of $1,870.16 was paid over to
the school board for the education of
the children of this county.
TN the payment of the claims for
sheep killed by dogs made by certain
citizens of the county, through an
oversight on the part of the board of
commissioners the amount allowed
was based on the valuation made by
the owners of the sheep and not the
assessed value as the statute pro-
yided. The excess of payments how
v 9 can easily be recovered so the
county will lose nothing by the error
There are approximately $500
voters in this county. Based on the
returns made in 1912 there are 1000
dogs. Possibly one-ha1f of the voters
Of this county own a dog. M any me-
groes and whites not able to do SO, own
a half dozen or more
There was no popular demand for
the repeal of the law. Under its oper-
alton a marked impetus had been given
to the raising of sheep. The high
prices realized for both mutton and
lamb and the tremendous demand foe
the same, had induced many of our
best farmers to go into the business.
"The insurance feature of the law
was especially attractive. The statute
Or vided that in cases where the own
of sheep could establish by proper
proof that his or her sheep had been
killed by dogs, the board must pay
this fund the amount at which
the sheep had been assessed on the
tax list.
Many worthless ours, and hounds
had been killed by the owners rather
than pay the 81 tax imposed.
Under the statute the taxed dog
became the property and the subject of
larceny. It's value If killed could also
he recovered in an action for damages.
I'm the last campaign certain poll
t:cians of both parties attempted to
make political capital put of the meas-
ure. 1t was a case Of much noise
and little wool"
"An overwhelming majority of the
thinking and solid citizenship of the
county favor a a. on dogs. If this
statement is challenged let the issue
be submitted to the voters at the next
general election as a separate and dis
tinct issue. A few noisy politicians
and owners of prowling and predatory
dogs are against a tax, but a majority
of the voters, never!
with these prowling half fed dogs
roaming through the county we must
expect constant ~depredations. From
all over the county for the past four
months come complaints of the killing
Of sheep n poultry. Only a few
nights ago four hogs were killed in a
pen a here by dogs. A young girl
was bitten in the Fletcher community
last week by a mad dog and carried TO
Raleigh for treatment We may ex-
pect much hydrophobia as long as vi
cious and starving dogs run at large,
and surely the life of one young child
is worth infinitely nor than that of
all the worthless ours in the State.
Over twenty counties in the State at
the last session of the General Assem-
bly, enacted dog taxing laws. Hender-
Son county was the only county which
took a long step backward in repeal
ing the law. An advalorem tax on
dogs is a direct tax.
I'm the collection of the dog tax in
this county for the years 1911 and
1912 there were to many i~nsolvents.
Under the garnishment laws of this
State there can be no reason why prac-
tically every dollar of the dog tax
could not be collected. A man who is
able to make from $1.25 to $1.5O per
day and prefers keeping a cur or hound
in preference to a pig should not com-
plain at paying a tax of 81 when it is
nsed in the education of his " and
his neighbours children.
Many good farmers protested
against the repeal of this statute. No
one ever heard of a petition demand