Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-07-17
Dogs and Waste

Dogs and Waste"
From every standpoint there is need for
a readiustment in the attitude OF the
state toward the dog. In the race OF
overwhelming evidence OF me naoloha a.
the greatest reluctance manifested by
state and national legislators TO remoV-
ing the incubus by taxing out Of exis,
tence every dog that isn't worth COCA
stiff tax scant welcome is given in some
quarters 20 a proposition to put tax OF
even & a head on the dogs of the coun-
try. and yet. with their estimated %
foo,oOo In numbers, tax Of this modest
size II made war measure. would yield
sorely needed additional revenue Of soO,-
"cn.coo wear -Manufacturers Record
The situation, In the opinion OF the
Record really calls for tax SO heavy as
20 wipe OUT large part Of this TOO num-
er1Is pack for purely beneficial console
atoms. entirely apart from the revenue
that might be derived from the dogs that
were permitted To survive. From the
standpoint Of most farmers, there can
never Re successful revival of the
sheep-rais inr industry where there is also
unrr7tr7tned raising Of dogs. and the
worl1-reCessitv for food and clothing can
not he met without the unhampered PR
GIcticn Of all the meat yielding, wool
producing animals that the sHeep-raiser5
- the country can bring to market
Every sheep killed by dog may mean
tAe death from starvation OF some indiv-
val In the var-devastated regions of Eu
rop, Moreover. while IL is contended by
acme mat the farmers can easily protect
t.eir iocks AGAINST predatory dogs, it is
fact that the presence Of dogs deters
them from engaging in the safeguarding
Business as freely they would II dogs
were corBpicuous by their absence.-Bid-
deford Journal
Dogs a.e a human weakness. They
are part and parcel of personal lib
cry" Booze desire is an appetite:
sexual perveryion is a passion; dogs
weakness is a sentiment.
Definite statistics assure us that our
drink personal liberty costs US ST.
5oOoo0.o00 annually. and the govern
ment gets about fifteen per cent. of the
outlay as revenue. The passion costs
US untold millions that cannot be COM
ruted. and the government gets small
return. The sentiment pays willingly
and heavily the country's figures not
al hand). and the fables regarding
sheep killing" would shame Ananias.
Some men who have always tolerat-
cd. even IL they have not participated
In. the abuses. physical dangers, pub
lie nuisances and every day destruction
by the intoxication folly. tear their
hair and dig their toes in the solid
rock when other folks dogs are men
toned. The Manufacturers Record is
going 10 ''readjust the attitude of the
state toward the dog" and quite prob
ably the same writer thinks that booze
MUST be perpetuated, because the
government simply couldn't exist with
out THAT revenue"
When n man sets himself down to
dream out the things that could be
done with the money that something
else was done with. he opens a door
as broad as his Observation-Disclosures
space perhaps. IF" we hadn't planted
so many potatoes we could have pur
chased more liberty bonds. III" we
hadn't given anything to the Red Cross
we could have helped make up a loan
for incapacitated Turks. IF" we
hadn't fed a Collie for two years we
might have saved q starving Belgian
Providing, of course, in each and every
case. the money had been used for the
las. designated purpose.
~ all the money that guessers have
guessed. dreamers have dreamed. and
liars have lied into the destruction by
dogs" in the writer's memory, the fund
would now he large enough TO hire the
Kaiser to take a vacation. and in addi-
ton buy his little old country and army
and establish EN- as a Wild West show
with Mine Hearst as Snowman.
The chief trouble with the proposition
Is that a very overwhelming most of it
"aint So"
We are sorry that "Deak" said. from
the standpoint OF MOST farmers" be-
cause he is misisformed. we believe
In fact. from direct and first hand
knowledge and conversation with many
farmers who know what they are talk
ing about, we are convinced most"
farmers in eastern states, at least. take
very little stock in the big cry little
wool noise about dog killed sheep.
Men who ought to know better talk
arrant nonsense about the tremendous
loss in sheep killed by dogs. In many
cases farmers know that sick and weak
sheep, neglected by their owners die in
pasture. are torn by foxes and other
wild animals. and are paid for by the
state as dog killed. We have an in
stance in mind, in which dishonest
farmer attempted to collect on a flock
OF sheep that he alleged had been run
TO death by dogs" AS a matter Of fact
not a sheep was torn and they had
d. given up the ghost in all sorts Of holes