Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1919-04-02
Woods Walker Writes About
"This Good Dog Law"

AkAO 0VV0 DO5 49, '"
Local fanciers of fox hounds were
much interested in an article in the
Lancaster Record last week written
by Col. Woods Walker, of the Paint
Lick section, on the "Good Dog Law"
Col. Walker discusses the new law
from an interesting viewpoint. He
writes as foIlows:Q Quite a lot has been
put in our local papers recently ex-
tolling the merits of the present Dog
Law. The columns of these papers
have been thrown wide open, to those
endorsing the bill, and the punishment
melted out to he who fails to comply
with the law, have been pictured in
blood red letters, and no doubt has ser
we'd its purpose as practically every
dog seen, has new shining collar.
l doubt if there is man in the
state who is not willing to pay tax
on his dog, reasonable tax, and /
dare say there are just as many who
believe his dog should be protected
after his license is paid. Futher more
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 having
an exhorbitant tax on the dog and
then pay 40 per cent or nearly half
of it, to have the law drafted and plac-
ed upon statues, and for collecting tax
Let us take for instance Lee County,
as / see she has reported in full. She
has collected $2561; percent of this
was paid to the Commissioner of
Agriculture, which amounts to $128.
05. The number of licenses issued by
the County Clerk was 2099, who re-
ceived for every license issued 25
cents. The assessor received 10 cents
on every license, in this case he re-
receives 5000. Now of the total Coun-
ty live stock fund of S203S.50 the sum
of $953.00 of 40 percent of this total
is used to augment the salary of the
State and County Officials instead of
being paid for sheep killed by dogs.
This law also provides that any sur
plus remaining after the sheep claims
have ben paid shall go to the School
Fund. To have believed that the
School fund would ever be benefited
by this law would have required
stretch of the imagination almost to
the breaking point.
NOW taking Lincoln county as a
basis Of the 120 counties in the state
we find she has paid S12S.05 to the
C 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 the
basis the 120 counties would pay the
Commissioner of Agriculture $4,000
annually. With Lincoln county as the
basis the County Clerks of the state
would receive above their salaries
$62,8S0. The County Assessors of the
state over and above their salaries
would receive S25,20O, making 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 400 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 for the benefit of the Com
County Clerks and Assess
orS.
With his salary thus increased one
can readily see why the Commission
er of Agriculture was so intensely
:r4,.o,4,J -, kba noccooo IF tho hill
and also the earnestness with he inn
pressed the county officials of their
duty to enforce this law.
have already settled with the Com
missioner of Agriculture, the County
Clerks and Assessors, we presume
the other counties of the state have
done the same and yet Garrad coun-
ty farmer few weeks ago presented
his claim for sheep killed by the dogs
these sheep being valued fraction
over $4,000 per head, and altho he
had paid $1,000 each for them three
months before, he was told that $1,000
was the limit on grade sheep and he
would have to wait IL months for his
money, and receive his prorata of
the leavings of the State and Coun-
ty officials.
Now we have found what the Com
missioner of Agriculture gets out of
this, we have found what the County
Clerks get out of this, we have what
the man who owns the sheep don't get
out of it, and now we want to ask the
Legislators who pass this law what
they get out of it. They get the CEN
sure Of the men who have presented
their shep claims.
Signed, TAXPAYER.
DON'T be fussy about your clothes
not being pressed. We know you
want them right. I do them right.
Let me have the next suit to press for
you. All kinds of alterations. ]. w.
COBB, First street over Daily Regis
ter Office, phone $50; residence phone