Norwich bulletin., 1914-02-19
SHEEP-KfLLING DOGS
All Can Be Harbored That is Desired
 So Long as The Tax is Paid.
By GEO. w. BROWN


 Probably one of the meanest graft system fostered by man and licensed
 by a government is that of the Sheep
 Dog Industry, concern that turns US
 wheels the whole year round, gets no where and accomplishes little save
 thieving, graft and knavery among
 people that would be honest If they
 had a chance, but under our common
 government code just cannot be so for varied reasons.
 Let us hold up the law in common from many states upon this print and
 see what there is in the grtst.
 We may keep sheep and we may keep dogs, all we like of both and as many dollars as we are so minded to turn into the coffers of our county
 treasury, just that many CUTS, good bad or indifferent may we haI'bor. Lit
 tie is the difference so we turn in the
 dollars at tax paying tfme- Then we're free to let our CUTS run and slay, hogs, sheep chickens, geese and people by
 the score with attacks of hydrophobia.
 dollar is paid. That dollar must be
 paid, though. An, yes! If it is not,
 our government has no funds to pay for slaughtered sheep.
 For twelve years we served as clerk to a board of township trustees in a central west county. You know this board under the law has the adjusting
 of all claims for damage to sheep from
 dogs within their township. These claims in turn are filed with the coun- ty auditor and once or twice each year
 the county board of commissioner sits and allows the claims, certifying to the who notifies the owner of the sheep
 and after a long time has elapsed he
 gets his pay for slaughtered sheep from the county dog fund, if there be
 money sufficient to pay it, and if not
 he waits until the fund is reimbursed
 by a fresh report from the tax asses = sor And, while the wheels are grind ing, fresh claims are coming in, more dogs are slaughtering more sheep, and more money is needed to pay more claims. Funny laws; queer dog and
 sheep protection.
 One of the Effects.
 Thus it has been grinding for years and years with 8 promise of nothing better. Hundreds have quit the sheep industry on our small farms owing to 1 this butchery. but we know of few
 who have quit the dog industry. In our locality we can count on one hand those engaged in sheep raising, but it would take g. box of marbles to tally up on dogs, and a majority of them worthless CUTS of no value whatever, only to draw the dollar for reimburse ment of the dog fund.-
 Well, how about these claims? Do i We think all sheep claims legitimate ! Yes, in the majority of cases. Some are not. There are scalawags in all ! trades. we guess.
 We have deep sympathy for a farm CT when he gets his flock torn to piec- es by these measly CUTS. He loses more than just the bUtchery, even though he gets paid from the fund in six months or year of patient wait ing. The flock grows wary of every living being and refrains from their 2 StpTSc a ha kpn AOclSs e to be bounded down until they never get over the scare.
 It was our business to examine legit- innate witnesses brought before our board, take down their testimony and send it duly certified by the trustees to our auditor. Herein lies some strange things in regard to dogs and sheep. Nobody seems ever to own a dog that kills sheep. The law says, if the owner | of the dog be known he must, in case 1 purse for sheep killed or injured, the l owner of said sheep. Seldom is a cuI 1 bounded to his lair and proven. There ! is an easier outlet-the county fund ] and it saves grudges and enemies, for a ! man who owns or harbors so mean 8 i cur is but little better than his dog perhaps, and a bad man dor an enemy i So 1t goes and the owner and witness
 es come prepared to swear the account ] upon the county fund. It is easier, an6 1 then the dog owner can just go or ! keeping and harboring his sheep-slay- l ing canine which help deplete the fund i rapidly and cripple the sheep industry l indefinitely. and helps make liars out ] of men who dare not tell the truth fol 1 fear of trouble with a neighbor. Isn't l this worse than stealing to get even Once in a while we know of these CUTS l being caught red handed and laid low 1 with a bullet, but he is nobody's dog 1 then. He is dead and no one wants g l dead dog, so the county fund agair l becomes resourceful to settle disputes 1 Successful Farming