1907.] DISCUSSION. 261 



137 towns for the fiscal year 1905 showed that they had regis- 

 tered 43,403 dogs, the Hcense fees from which amounted to 

 $51,783. If these figures are representative of the State, the 

 total number of dogs may be computed as approximately 54,- 

 253 for the whole State, with license fees exceeding some- 

 what $64,000. Although we had returns from 137 of the 

 total number of towns, only 127 of those returns were com- 

 plete. In those 127 towns with complete returns the total 

 damage paid by the towns amounted to $5,878 for the year 

 1905. Now then, if that is right, the estimated loss in all the 

 towns throughout the State for the year 1905 will be an 

 amount not exceeding possibly eight thousand dollars. After 

 this work was undertaken. Col. Brown, Secretary of the State 

 Board of Agriculture, directed my attention to the fact that a 

 similar survey or investigation had been undertaken by the 

 State Board of Agriculture in the year 1888, and published in 

 the report of the board for that year, from which I have taken 

 the following figures, they being interesting for comparison. 

 At that time, the total number of dogs that were returned was 

 32,415, as against 54,253 in 1905. The total damage by dogs 

 returned in 1888 was $10,279, as against $7,800, which is the 

 way my later figures result. Now at the time of the report 

 of the investigation in 1888 the sheep population was at that 

 time estimated by Mr. Gold, the former Secretary, at fifty 

 thousand, but the next census of 1890, two years later, which 

 was probably somewhat more accurate, returned the sheep 

 population as 38,000. In the returns for the year 1900, at 

 the time of the next census, the sheep population of the State 

 is but 23,000. We have no means of knowing the exact num- 

 ber today, but we are all well aware of the fact that flocks of 

 sheep not exceeding one hundred dollars in value are exempt 

 from taxation, and, therefore, there is no correct and ready 

 means of ascertaining the sheep population throughout the 

 State. We have been seeking to obtain information by send- 

 ing first an inquiry to every town clerk asking him to submit 



