The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-01-24
WOLF BOUNTY
LAW is SAVED
AFTER DEBATE
Vote on Sectional Lines
-westerners Favor II,
Fasteners Want Repeal


Continuation of the state bounty
on wolves and coyotes was voted Sat-
urday by the. state house of repre-
sentatives following the first general
debate of the session. After score
of members had, expressed their
views, roll calf showed vote of
II to IS with seven members absent.
The vote came following recon-
mendation by the ways and means
committee Of a bill to abolish the
bounty. A minority report urged de-
feat Of the repeal law. The minority
report was approved and the bill was
"indefinitely postponed"
Opening the fight for the repeal
measure N. H. Lynch, Richland coun-
ty, pointed out that an APPROPRIATION
of $4,000, is asked for the wolf
bounty at this session and that u
deficit of. $4,000 exists despite an
appropriation of 100000 last year.
The state could save money, he said.
by leaving the question Of bounties
to the counties. The hides Of wolves
bring from $40 to $50, he said, and
are killed than females. Professional
wolf hunters do not kill the females,
he said, and the result is that the
state is substituting an industry.
j. H. McCay, Sioux county, chal-
lenegcd Lynch's statement as to the
price paid for hides, saying 81 was
top price for first grade skin. Re-
Ck0A M NJ
most of the bounty money is paid to
persons in western counties, McCay
demanded to knew if the western
part of the state is not to be con-
sidered as being in North Dakota.
Sioux county, he said, is not able
to pay a bounty but insisted that if
western farmers are to continue
raising pigs, sheep and turkeys the
coyotes and wolves must be kept
down. The talk of killing only
males is bunk" he said and added
that the amount asked is small COM
pared to appropriations for various
state institutions.
TwicheIl Raped Down
Joining the fight for repeal Of the
bounty L. L. Twichell, majority floor
leader, pointed to the increasing cost
of the bounty as reason for dis
continuing it. It began with a $4O,-
600 appropriation in 1919 and has
been growing larger ever since, he
said. He predicted that deficit Of
$5ey000 would exist b July Of this
year and asked the members how far
they wanted to 60 with the PROPOSE
tion.
F. Ferris, Nelson county, attacked
Twichell's figures and an argument
ensued in which Speaker Carr raped
Twichell down for being out Of
order.
r. Bubel, Oliver county, said he is
against the bounty because certain
persons are shipping in the hides
Of wolves killed in>Montana and col
lecting the North Dakota bounty.
c. N. Lee, Oliver county, commended
that the bounty law no longer is nee
essary since the wolves have been SO
reduced in number that >they can be
controlled without it.
d. L. Peters, Pierce county, took
issue with his party chieftain, point
ing out that the large amount spent
was evidence of the need for con-
tinuing the bounty and evidence that
the wolves need cleaning out" Coun-
ty bounties would be useless, he con-
tended, because wolves travel fast
and counties which gave bounties
would only bear the burden for their
neighbors. Pointing to the large ap-
preparations for the various divisions
Of the agricultural college, Peters
asked "What good does it do to tell
the farmers how to farm If we allow
wolves to kill the livestock? The
money paid for bounties is small COM
pared to the losses. which would be
incurred unless wolves were kept
down." liberalization of agricul-
ture, he said, means more turkeys,
sheep and other stock which must be
protected from wolves.
Favors Dog Tax
G. w. Hoffman, Pembina county,
said dogs are killing more sheep than
are wolves in his county and asked
a dog. tax, the money to go into a
fund to pay farmers for sheep killed
by them. He contendcdethat q bounty
is unnecessary since the people would
hunt down the wolves rs a matter
of course.
J. T. Fettig. Pierce county, con-
tended that the hides of wolves are
worthless in the spring and that
wolf pups are reared at that season
when farmers are too busy to hunt
them.
h. o. Signalness and other western
representatives told Of heavy dam
ages to herds and flocks from wolves
and coyotes and said stockmen FREE
quently offer purses for the cap
ture Of certain wolves whose. ACTIVE
tics. are especially damaging.
Thompson FsvorS Bounty
J. H. Thompson, Burleigh county,
demanded to know why = deficit in
the woN bounty fund was worse than
deficit in any other fund and con-
te-dcd that, the bounty is good
economy, since Il saves farmers thou
sands. OF dollars in flock and herd
losses. "When deficit occurs in the
funds of any state institutions we
dent hear anything about letting the
county in which il is located make up
the deficit" he. said.
The vote on the measure was along
sectional rather than party lines,
most, Of the western representatives
voting for the bounty.
Having retained the wolf bounty,
the house peacefully passed four sup
ply bills. among them appropriations
for the school for the deaf at Devils
Lake and the HOSPITAL, for the insane
at Jamestown. Il
The house also passed Senate Bill
Fl. appfopriating S25, 900 to the state
auditor TO finaneA collection Of the
two-cent Ges tax. Il il the second
measure ~ g ~ the governor for
signature.
Oh, motion 81 william Watt. an