Oxford eagle., 1918-01-31

decreasing supply Of meat and stead
lily advancing prices. Wool has in
creased in price enormously, and there
is danger of an actual wool famine
even to properly clothe our soldiers
and protect them from death due TO
cold weather and the lack Of woolen
clothes combines
The situation could be changed 10
an amazing extent for good By rails
ing more sheep. cst sheep-raising and
dog raising are diametrically opposed.
One or the other must give way.
Shall We keep on maintaining 25,-
600, 900 dogs. most of which are worse
than useless, to consume hundreds Of
millions of dollars worth of food and
at the same time to make increased
sheep production impossible? The
number of sheep in the country as
compared with years ago has decreas-
ed over 100000, while the number
OF sheep-killing dogs steadily in
creases.
1t has seemed impossible TO pass
and enforce adequate dog laws in the
States. For this reason the Manu-
facturers Record has urged war tax
by Congress Of from s. to IS head
on dogs. This would soon decrease
the supply of worthless sheep killing
dogs, while the owners of pet dogs
and valuable dogs could well afford
TO pay the war tax.
The question faces US squarely:
Do We perfer dogs 10 humanity?
Shall our soldiers freeze and die
for lack of wool because the nation
dare not antagonize the voters who
own millions Of worthless curs7
Shall ou- own people and the Allies
starve for meat because as a nation
we discourage sheep-growing in order
10 curry favor with the poor owners
Of millions of mongrel ours and the
rlch who might object TO a war tax
Dogs o. sheep, which?
No state can adequately protect.
because the dogs pay no attention to
State lines in their chase Of sheep.
But the States can make start while
waiting on Congress Dogs should be
taxed, and their owners should be
liable for at least quadruple the value
Of every sheep killed, because the
killing Of a single sheep injuries the
whole flock and discourzges the in
dustry.
The papers throughout the country
are now taking up the matter very
vigorously. The Wilmington, N. c.
Stars says that the leading daily and
weekly papers of Georgia are filled
with invitations to sheep-growers of
the West and Northwest to bring
their flocks to Georgia and the
Georgians are learning something
about the sheep raising adaptabilities
an dthe once great sheep industry Of
Georgia which flourished half-cen-
tury ago. During the decades before
and following the Civil War period the
Southern States were successful pro-
duecrs Of sheep and wool But the
South gradually turned 70 cotton and
became cursed with a one-erop mania,
which, together with the growing in
crease Of wandering cur dogs, soon
forced the sheep-owners to dispose of
what was left of once profitable
focks.
Now that sheep-owners of the West
and Northwest are contemplating
sending their sheep South. where they
will find a mild climate and pastur-
age, during the severe winters of the
West, il is up to the Southern States
TO get nd Of the sheep-hlling dog
menace by drastic legislation. ngidly
enforced Then the South will not
only take care Of the Western sheep
during the winter, but il viii be in a
position TO again develop a sheep in
dustry Of its own.
Agitation on this question by the
press and business and other organi-
nations Of the county is beginning
to show results Typical Of what is
being accomplished is cited in the ae-
companying excerpts from leading
papers in several Southern States.
The virginian-Pilot Of Norfolk. in
an editorial entitled -Exterminate
the Cur" gives the following:
II. p. Baker, members Of the House
of Delegs.es from Cumberland eoun-
". in a lstte to the Richmond Times
risratch, makss declaration that he
is prepared --;c sacrihce' all future
prospects for election 70 any Office"
by introducing dog bill that will ef-
fectively nd Virginia Of its plague Of
curs- The gentleman from Cumber-
sand shows himself endowed with the
courr xe of the Spartans and the wis
dom of the Athenians- The canine
pest has been a sore affection to the
Commonwealth for decades OF late
the curse Of the vagrant mongrel has