The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1919-03-27
THE GOOD
DOG LAW.
Tax Payer Takes Issue
With 1t.
To The CENTRAL RECORD

~ Inc ZEN NAL hECORD:-
Quite lot has been put in our To-
cal papers recently extolling the mer-
its of the present Dog Law. The col
umns of these papers have been
thrown wide open, to those endorsing
the bill, and the punishment meted
out to he who fails to comply with
the law, have been pictured in blood
red letters, and no doubt has served
its purpose, as practically every dog
seen, has new shining tag, dangling
from his collar.
doubt II there is a man in the
state who is not willing to pay tax on
his dog, a reasonable tax, and dare
say there are just as many, who be-
lieve his dog should be protected after
his license is paid. Further more,
there is not a man in Kentucky, but
that believes the state should pay for
all sheep killed by dogs, and pay the
assessed value, and pay it when the
claim is proven and presented.
They believe furthermore, that the
entire dog tax should be applied to
this fund, and the state make up the
deficit. But what is the use of hav-
ing an exhorbitant tax on the dog and
then pay 40 per cent or nearly half
of it, to have the law drafted and
placed upon the statutes, and for COL
leting the tax. Lets take for in
stance, Lincoln County, as I see she
has reported in full. She has collect
ed $2561; per cent of this was paid
to the Commissioner Of Agriculture,
which amounts to $128.05. The num-
Der of licenses issued by the County
Clerk was 2099, who received for
every license issued rs cents. The
assessor received 10 cents on every
license, in this case he receives 5000.
Now of the total County live stock
fund Of $2038.50 the sum of $953.OO
or 40 per cent of this total is used to
augment the salary of State and
County Officials instead of being paid
for sheep killed by dogs. This law
also provides that any surplus remain
ing after the sheep claims have been
paid shall go to the School Fund. To
have believed that the School fund
would ever be benefited by this law
would have required a stretch of the
imagination almost to the breaking
point.
Now taking Lincoln County a. a
basis of the 120 counties in the sta.e,
we find she has paid $128.05 to the
Commissioner Of Agriculture. but for
fear Lincoln's fund should be larger
than the average County fund we
take 500. as the basis. Taking this
as basis the 100 counties would pay
the Commissioner of Agriculture
$4,000. annually. With Lincoln
County as basis the County CLERKS
of the state would receive above their
salaries $62,S80. The County Assess
ors Of the state over and above their
salaries would receive $25,20U, max
ing a total received by state and
County officials over and above their
salaries $100,080. This sum if used
to reimburse the farmers who had
sheep killed by dogs. would pay for
1000 sheep valued at $500 each.
Now we leave the reader to Judge
whether or not this law was enacted
to encourage the raising of sheep or
fol the benefit Of tie Commissioner,
County clerks and Assessors.
With his salary thus increased one
can readily see why the COMMISSIONS
of Agriculture was so intensely in
terested in the passage of this bill and
also the earnestness with which he i'm
pressed the County officials of their
duty to enforce this law.
As Lincoln and Garrard Counties
have already settled with the Com
missioner Of Agriculture, the County
Clerks and the Assessors, we presume
the other Counties Of the State have
done the same and yet Garrard
>oeAss AoAihSh q lew WcthS aKO pre-
sented his claim for sheep killed by
dogs, these sheep being valued frac-
tion over $4,000 per head, and altho
he had paid $4,000 each for them
three months before, he was told that
$1,000 was the limit on grade sheep
and he would have to wait ~ months
for his money, and receive his pro-
rata of the leavings of the State and
County officials.
Now We have found what the Com
of Agriculture gets out of
this, we have found what the County
Clerks get out Of this, we have found
what the assessors get out of this, we
have found what the man who owns
the sheep Don't get out Of il. and now
we want to ask the Legislators who
passes this law what they get out of
it. They get the censure Of the men
who have presented their sheep
claims.
Signed, TAX PAYER"