Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 89, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 February 1918 — DOGS DESTROY MANY SHEEP [ARTICLE]

DOGS DESTROY MANY SHEEP

State Council of Defense Seeks to Eliminate This Evil. Indianapolis, February 5. —The stimulation of sheep production in Indiana, through a comprehensive plan for distributing breeding ewes and eliminating the menace of the stray dog in the industry. occupied the attention of the State Council of Defense at its meeting lasl week. The council endorsed the activity of sheep growers, the extension division of Purdue university and interested business men, who have taken the initiative in the campaign to increase sheep in Indiana for their value both as to food production and their wool A committee including Frank Wampler, .1. L. Reach, Will Irwin, William llolten Dye and Jesse Andrews, the last two active in the sheep industry but not members of the council, were appointed to co-ordinate the increased sheep movement and encourage the efforts of Indiana farmers and patriotic organizations that have given thought to the proposition. W. S. Mercer of Peru, state senator for Miami county, and Jesse Andrews of West Point, Indiana, asked the council, specifically, to assist in removing the stray dogs, which, they declared, had killed 9,000 sheep in Indiana last year, valued all SGB,OOO, and bearing 70,000 pounds of wool. The $68,000 represents the sums paid to farmers by township trustees, which was the equivalent of the assessed value of the sheep and probably represents less than one-half of the actual market value of the sheep destroyed. (It is the law that adjustments be made upon the assessed valuation.) Mr. Andrews recommended that the state council ask legislation by the United States congress that will make 1 the removal of these “destructive dogs’’ certain without reference to local political or personal interests. Every county council of defense in the state will be requested by the state council to suggest that groups of men in the army IfTom their community be asked to designate a correspondent for the purpose of writing letters regularly, to be answered in behalf of the community by a correspondent to be designated by the defense council. This suggestion was made by George Ade as a means, he said, of keeping the home people in touch with many boys who have no one to write to, and who might otherwise be neglected.