White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1923-09-23
PROOFS DESIRABLE

under which government coyote trap
PINS is carried on in Nevada and else
where in the west, publishes a pur
ported report of the results of it's
operations. In these reports a vary
ing number OF animals having been
destroyed it is alleged. Yet there is
every reason to believe that these
reports, while miserable enough in
their showings, do not render a cor
rect account of the work accom-
plished for which the people, through
federal government, state and couB
ty, are paying in this state alone
probably more than $4,000 a month.
The White Pine News has the word
of subordinates of this department
that the animals claimed to be killed
by this department of the government
are not in reality known 20 be killed,
In other words, that when they say
thirty animals are alleged to have
been destroyed by a government
trapper, there are no sca1ps or other
parts of the animals accounted for
to prove that more than ten or TWEEN
ty of them were in fact slain.
But it matters little whether or
not the word of such subordinates be
substantiated. The system tina. is
followed by itself proves the on
tention of the White Pine News,
namely, that there is no proof what
ever that the number of animals
claimed to have been destroyed are
actually destroyed. That system is
the so called poisoning campaign that
is being carried on with more or less
persistence. A member of this pa
per's staff happens to have expert
knowledge of this subject and knows
whereof he speaks. He personally
has tried out every one of the diff
ferent connections known as govern
n a fair and lengthy trial. This
was done with an open mind with the
purpose of finding a better means
than trapping of destroying these ami.
mails. For weeks the so-called taste
less poison-which is said to be
strychnine minus the bitter taste
was used in the most thorough man
ltI 6lldDiC al llldI tlIut tItIt
was a deep snow in which animals
could be tracked for as many miles
as a person could pursue them horse
back, yet while all bats were eaten.
poison and all, no coyotes were killed.
But here is where the fake comes
in. The government trappers do not
track the animals until their car
z-oaA, 100 4,- rIN., ..Au1x, -
hat the poison bait is gone and. fol
low the tracks leading away from 1t
for a few hundred yards. If no dead
animal is found it is listed as dead
anyway, and that is the way these
lists of destroyed animals are made
up for publication in the news papers
Now, if this poison or any poison
was Of any value in destroying the
animals there might be some justif-
cation for a continuation of this cam
paign But it is worthless and the
campaign not only is not bringing
the results for which the people in
Nevada alone are paying around
$4,000 a month, out is q positive fake
and a fraud
Let the biological survey furnish
the proof that it is destroying SIG
coyotes in a month in Nevada. Mere
assertions of that sort in the news
papers prove nothing. Let the scalpa
of these animals be accounted for
and let it be certain that these same
The month before, and will not be
used again next month. Let it be
proved that these animals were killed
in the months claimed, at the places
claimed. and not held from the easy
trapping months of the fall and &C
counted for in the hard mnths OF
February, March, April, May and
June.
Let the ones who are thus handling
with a degree of carelossness the
money of the people, furnish proof
hat they are accomplishing what
they claim.
This is the system that is being
defended by n Vernon Metcalf, sec
rotary Of the state livestock asso
citation and ex-oficio editor of the
Nevada Stockgrawor. Mr.. Metcalf
claims the White Pine News by pub
fishing the truth about these things
ic abusing him. This paper is abus-
ing nobody. 1t is merely turning
the light onto matters in which Mr..
Metcalf is not directly concerned. He
is not a member of the biological
survey and stands accused of only
n thing, which is that of defend
ing a system which this newspaper
at various times has proved to be
rotten More than that, he refuses
to be convinced of his error, though
the proof is abundant and patent to
every stockman in eastern Nevada.
every official in White Pine county
and each member of the board o.
county commissioners II he wants
to accept the blame and regard these
publications as abuse of himself
there is no immediate means of pre-
venting it. When he eases in his
feeble attempts to defend this in
defenaible system he will discover
his white alley from this terrihla