52 Decrease of Birds 



bearing evidence of the fact. Without this any dog tax 

 is practically worthless. 



Mr. S. D. Cross, Chester, suggests: "Have a law to kill 

 all mongrel dogs and tax the owner of every good dog $5, 

 and do not allow any dogs to run at large." Mr. W. C. 

 White, Chester, suggests: "Tax all dogs $2.50 per head 

 and do not allow to run at large during the nesting season 

 of partridges. At present I have thirteen dogs but keep 

 them confined." Mr. Albert Teague, Laurens: "Tax dogs 

 $1 with $5 penalty for failure to return same, the penalty 

 or part of it to go to the game warden for enforcing the 

 law." Mr. A. R. Taylor, Lexington, reports: "I know one 

 negro who had eight or nine dogs which roamed the woods 

 and fields and he paid taxes on none of them." Mr. W. 

 R. Smith, Sr., Newberry, suggests: "a prohibitive tax so 

 as to do away with so many worthless curs and so many 

 worthless dogs." Mr. H. R. Phillips, Fairfield, writes: 

 ' 'There ought to be a law rigidly enforced to exterminate 

 stray dogs, and a license on all others of sufficient amount 

 to prohibit negroes having so many." 



In July, 1915, Mr. C. F. Dill, Greenville reports: "A tax 

 on dogs has been passed for this county, and hundreds of 

 dogs and bitches have been killed in the past two months. 

 Tax is $1 on male and $5 on female dogs." Again six 

 months later, Mr. Dill reports: "The dog tax in this county 

 has had a wonderful effect. We have fewer dogs at pres- 

 ent than ever before." Capt. S. G. Stoney, Charleston, 

 suggests: "There should be a universal dog tax, and the 

 receipts for this special tax should be subject to inspection 

 at any. time by the above agencies, (game wardens and 

 trial justicies. ) All of the license funds and fines, after 

 paying a percentage of the fine to the informant, should 

 be, applied to the payment of the game wardens of the 

 State, and the enforcement of the game laws now in 

 existence and those to be established." 



A reduction in the dog population would be a great pro- 

 tection not only to birds, but to human life as well. In his 

 annual report for 1915, Dr. F. A. Coward, Bacteriologist ' 

 of the State Board of Health, suggests the enactment of a 



