Connecticut western news., 1917-02-08

So14e1y. providing for the ilcenslLg oI cats, and, naturally, a howl will go up from the pussy owners all over the state This is to be expected, as was the case with dog owners when the li- censing of dogs was first considered and brought before the legislature.
 To a great many the licensing of cats seems like petty business, but we be- lieve that anything which interferes with the growing of the food we eat, either directly or indirectly, is deserv' ing of consideration.
 The whole subject has been so thoroughly investigated by experts who have made a study of both the good and bad in these animals that it is no longer matter of sentiment-the cold facts stand out so bold that the advo- cate of cat license has, like Josh Bill lings' rooster, "the spurs to back up his crow with.';
 The principle object sought in this movement is the disposition of the worthless stray cats, the homeless tramp cats, the outcasts; these are the ones that are committing depredations and living on the birds, both young and old, and are from any point of view, a nuisance. The household pet which is properly fed and cared for and not forced to catch its living, does less damage than its neglected kin, yet, as evidence that the favorite pet of the fireside does its share of bird destruc- tion, we will cite one case ID Connecti- cut among hundreds of others which might be taken from Prof. Forbush's bulletin on "The Domestic Cat" "Mr. Neil Morrow Ladd of Greenwich, Conn.,, records the fact that sleek, fat Angora cat although burdened with six bells, brought in during one nesting season thirty two birds and in the next twenty eight, none of which it ate.'
 Another instance, showing the work of farm cat, is given by William Brewster of Cambridge, Mass, who tells of days hunt by four sportsmen with their dogs in which they killed but one game bird-a bobwhite. On their return at night to the farm house where they were staying they found that the farm cat had beaten their score, having brought in during tho day two bobwhites and grouse.
 If cats are half as valuable as many of their owners claim, they certainly must be worth the payment of few cents a year into the state treasury, thereby aiding in the disposition of stray cats, the homeless felines that, even from humane standpoint, should be put where they will not suffer from neglect, exposure or food, especially in winter. Domestic cats frequently desert their home environments and take to the woods, becoming literally wild cats, taking up their abodes in woodchuck holes, caves, etc. These cats are certainly of no use to mankind and should be killed.
 Our native birds are one of the nations most valuable assets, as there is nothing equal to them for holding in check the innumerable hosts Of insect pests. Itdoes not require deep calcula- tion to prove that insectivoIous birds are decreasing in numbers. and the armies of insect pests are increasing at an alarming rate. Every time a cat catches so insignificant bird as chickadee on your property it adds from 200 to 500 insects a day, or many thousand during the season, to your place, which would be devoured by this one little bird if permitted to live.
 If a man is caught killing an in- sectivorous bird he is fined, but cats are allowed to roam about unrestricted and kill them by the hundreds and nothing is done about it.
 Why do our legislators discriminate in favor of the cat Is the cat deserv- ing of favoritism to this extent? Both men and cats enjoy hunting birds, and why should our laws say "No !'' to mankind and "Go to it '' to the cat?
 The solution of the whole problem is l.: Impose small license fee upon the household pet and use the revenue to dispose of the mongrel outlaws that are