The Silver State

Editor The Silver State:

I see by the recently-enacted ordinance (emergency) published in a local newspaper that we shall pay a license of $2 per year on all male dogs and $5 on all females. This license question is one upon which no dog-owner will balk, but it seems unfair that the dog must pay for protection and the privilege of living and then be caught by the city dog catcher and the owner subject to a penalty unless the dog is either tied up or goes about in leading strings.

When our prospective dog catcher is fully equipped with wagon, catching net and helpers, let us hope that, instead of pursuing dogs who have names, homes and owners who do their best to care for them, that he will go out after the homeless, friendless and misbegotten curs which are brought into the town by ranchers, herders, etc., and dumped on our streets. These animals are half wild and from them comes the menace.

While about it I would also suggest that a cat owner should be compelled to procure a license; that would put quite an amount of cash in the city treasury and the killing of numerous marauding "Pa" cats who travel the back fences as soon as it becomes dark, singing sonatas to their senoritas in basso disgusto tones, would help to make the sleep of the weary householder more salubrious.

The dog is naturally cleanly of habit but who ever saw a cat who would voluntarily take a bath? No. Pussy, after exploring numerous garbage cans, stuffing her or himself with unspeakable offal, will sit somewhere in the sun and with pretty pink tongue give the once over to the coat and is then ready to become an ornament to any home and cuddle down beside the sleeping baby.

No wonder there are so many epidemics of whooping cough, scarlet fever and measles among the infant population when the family cat is so much in evidence. A tax of one dollar on cats of the male persuasion and about ten dollars on the females would surely separate the feline sheep from the goats. There is absolutely no danger of race suicide in catdom, when every mother cat twice a year reproduces her like to the tune of fourteen sore-eyed kittens a year. If you are troubled with mice, get a few five-cent mousetraps and the question is settled.

A LOVER OF FAIR PLAY.