Bellefonte, Pa., February 21, 1930. WILD LIFE WITH A PRICE . ON ITS KILLING HEAD The following mammals due to their killing of valuable wild-life or to other destructive habits are prob- ably to be classed as ‘‘predators.” The wild cat probably heads the list of game destroyers in Pennsyl- vania. It is, however, comparatively rare. It is found in the mountainous and rocky sections of the State chief- ly in the northern counties. While it eats mice, wood rats and ground squirrels its food consists principally of game animals and game birds, such as ruffed grouse, wild turkeys, rabbits, hares, and numbers of young fawns during summer months, and occasionally a fully grown deer. It also eats porcupines, and occasional raccoons, and any other bird or ani- mal that may be caught during its miles of travel each night. The wild cat is not valuable as a fur-bearer but $15 bounty is paid for each wild cat. ' The gray fox probably takes sec- ond place as a game destroyer. It is found in almost every county in the State. It is almost omnivorous and is fond of fruits, insects, and small rodents. However, hares, cot- tontails, ruffed grouse, pheasants, bob-whites, and many young wild turkeys are captured, A prime gray fox skin sells for approximately $2.50. This with the bounty of $4.00 each compensates the hunter or trap- per for the sport he has in chase or following the trap line. The red fox like its cousin the gray, is found in nearly every coun- ty of the State, their principal range including the northern and extreme western counties. Their food habits are similar to those of the gray. Red foxes have been known to kill and carry to their young small fawns. Red foxes are valuable fur- bearers and in sections where the trappers have them under control they probably should not be killed except when the fur is prime. Today a prime red fox pelt will bring around $15.00. The 1929 Legislature removed the $2.00 bounty on the red fox, it being felt that the value of the fur of these creatures, alone, was in- centive enough to warrant their proper control. . The weasel’'s bloodthirsty habits are well known. While the weasel kills small rodents it also takes much young poultry along with the young of ruffed grouse, wild turkeys, pheas- ants, quail and full grown rabbits and squirrels. It kills for the blood and the lust of killing, and is a tireless hunter. When it cannot secure suf- ficient blood, it will subsist on the flesh of a bird or mammal. Weasels occur in every county. The weasel is well under cortrol in most sec- tions of the State, because the fur is valuable, because the bounty encour- ages trapping, and because trapping for them is not difficult, $1.00 is paid on each species of weasel. The least weasel, while not abundant, occurs in severdl counties of the State, principally in the west- ern part. Very little is known of the food habits of the least weasel, it be- ing impossible to determine much from an examination of the stomach contents. It is said that they seldom kill anything larger than a mouse or a mole. They usually live in or near abandoned dwellings or old barns. The goshawk is beyond doubt our most destructive feathered predator and when present in great numbers during the winter months plays hav- oc with our game birds and animals. But especially do they like grouse. The 1929 Legislature placed a $5.00 bounty on these creatures during the period between November 1 and May 1, the entire carcass to be sent to the Commission within 36 hours af- ter killing. To get a good idea of the number of predators which are received at the Commission’s offices from time to time, note the following figures which include those creatures sent only during the first 15 days of Jan- uary. Weasels, 12,724; gray foxes, 1061; wild cats, 21 and goshawks, 8. Incidentally this was the largest number of predators received in any 15 day period during the history of the Commission. NEWSPAPER AD URGED AS NEED OF CHURCHES The churches of the nation will have to utilize quantities of adver- tising space as part of their cam- paign to increase church attendance and the daily newspapers will be the medium through which they must make contact with the public. Such was the declaration yester- day of Dr. W, T. Ellis, noted writer on religious topics, in an address be- fore the church advertising commit. tee of the Advertising Club of New York City. He said: “If the churches are going to get the crowds each Sunday it is essen- tial that they make generous use of newspaper space. “Space in religious publications won’t reach the masses and there- fore the daily press is the essential medium. The dailies reach everyone —the outcast and the socially elect. They will carry the message to every stratum of society. Dr. Ellis predicted that newspa- pers would eventually “pep up” their pages of religious notices so as to ar- rest the interest of the average readers. THAT'S DIFFERENT. One day a very pretty young lady who had a poodle dog in her lap chanced to be riding on a street car. A blue nose lady sitting next to the girl addressed her thusly: “My, what a nasty little dog. Don’t you think, my young lady, it would look much Jicer if you had a little baby in your ap ? ” “No,” the pretty one replied in calm, even tones, “it wouldn't. You see, I'm not married.” | STATE DOES NOT TAX REAL ESTATE BUT HAS WIDELY VARIED INCOME Replying to the query of citizens who asked what percentage of the Commonwealth’s revenues represent the tax on real estate, General Ed- ward Martin, State Treasurer, re- plied that contrary to a somewhat general belief, there is no State tax on real estate. In a number of Pennsylvania coun- ties, the phraseology employed on the statements rendered owners to believe that their real estate is being taxed for State purposes. “Pennsylvania,” wrote General Martin, “is one of the few American States which does not levy a State tax on land. That has been so for many years. It is interesting to analyze the Commonwealth's reve- nues, During a recent month, for ex- ample, General Fund receipts total- ed $5,707,308.93. Of this total the largest sum was received from what is known as resident transfer inheri- tance for 1919-1921, approximately $1,466,000. The next largest amount was that received from the tax on gross receipts of railroads, express companies, telephone companies, and certain other public utilities, amount- ing to approximately $707,000; and the third largest total was from the tax on the capital stock of domestic corporations, or approximately $614,- 284.29, National banks paid $194,000, trust companies, $279,000; retail mer- cantile establishments, $198,000; Teachers’ Colleges, for board, room rent, and laundry, nearly $600,000; hospitals for the insane and institu- tions for the feeble minded, $205,- 000, penal and correctional institu- tions, $207,000. The last Legislature enacted a law providing that teachers’ colleges and other State institutions pay into the State Treasury receipts from all sources, instead of handling funds themselves. Their bills are now paid by the State Treasurer upon proper requisition. Among the lesser items in the October receipts, were $10,604 taxes on boxing gross receipts, $1780 for boxing licenses, and $175 for boxing fines. Theatres and circuses pay taxes amounting to nearly $400,000. Receipts from the Public Service Commission included a $500 fine for violation of orders, $1481 testing fees and $980 certificate and filing fees, The Department of Military Af- fairs contributed among other fees $385.50 representing court martial fines, $25 paid by a boxing promo- ter who permitted cigaret smoking during the contest, and $215 box- ing purse forfeitures, as well as the boxing fees already mentioned. The motion picture examiners de- posited fees totaling $9500, and per- sons arithmetically inclined can fig- ure the footage of film examined when they know that the charge for examination is $2 per reel of not more than 1200 feet. Nearly $1000 was paid by the State Board of Pharmacy, repre- senting fines for violations of the law regulating the operation of drug stores. No drug store, for example, may call itself a “drug store” uiless there is on duty continually a regis- tered pharmacist or a qualified as- sistant. This board has been very active in forcing owners of what are known as medicine stores to desig- nate themselves properly. A medi- cine store is one which sells medi- cines in the original packages. Among payments by the Agricul- tural Department is listed ‘‘egg c¢pen- ing, $50.” This sum represents a fee paid by a firm engaged in trans- forming aged eggs into tanniny ma- terial. St ———— ly A A TEACHER RATINGS ARE CLIMBING STEADILY State Superintendent of Public In- struction, Dr. John A. H. Keith, in anticipation of the One Hundredth Anniversary of the Common School System which will be celebrated in 1934 is making a study of teacher preparation in Pennsylvania, has uncovered what he considers much interesting information. “The most startling thing about the date,” said Dr. Keith, “is that there were 60,787 full time teachers and supervisors in the public schools of Pennsylvania last year which means an average of 32 pupils per teacher as compared with 55 pupils per teacher in 1870.” Analyzing Department statistics, Dr. Keith found that in 1920-21 only 70.5 per cent. of the State's teaching force had standard qualifications. In 1926-27 six years later, 86.1 per cent. of the public school teachers held standard qualifications, an increase of 14.6 per cent. In 1928-29, two years later, the percentage of teachers with standard qualifications had risen to 91.8 per cent, an increase of 5.7 per cent. in these two years. “Viewed over an eight-year span,” Dr. Keith said, “the percentage of teachers with standard qualifications increased from 70.5 per cent. to 91.8 per cent. with better figures in sight for the current and future years.” The college certificate is the high- est form of teacher certification. Dr. Keith discovered that last year col- lege certificate holders teaching in the public schools numbered 11,990, or g trifle less than twenty per cent. of the total number of public school teachers. The figures covering the teachers with normal school qualifi- cations, the second highest form of certificate, showed 28,499 teach- ers or 46.8 per cent. ete Only Democrats Will Laugh Two Irishmen were standing be- fore a monument bearing this epi- taph: “A good man and a Republi- can.” One said to the other: “They always do queer things in America, but I can’t understand why ‘hey Puried a good man with a Repnubli- can!” Teacher:—Can you tell ne what a waffle is, Thomas? Tommy: —Yes'm. It's a pancake with a non-skid tread. WARNS WALKERS ON HIGHWAY Walking on the highways in sub- urban and rural sectionsin the dusk of evening and after dark, so preva- lent at this season when days are short, makes extreme caution imper- ative on the part of the pedestrian and the automobile driver as well, S. Edward Gable, president of the Pennsylvania Motor Federation, said recently in warning of the dangers! of this practice. | “Everyone who drives a motor car realizes how difficult it is to discern | the form of a person on the highway ' at night,” Mr. Gable said. “Many | are killed and hundreds injured each | year by indulging in this practice | and the toll would be greater were | it not for the adequate lighting . equipment of the average motor ve- hicle.” | Mr. Gable’s statement continued: “Children and others who walk on the highways undoubtedly presume that they can readily be seen by the drivers of oncoming cars and that the burden of responsibility for their safety rests entirely with the opera- tor of the car. Their presumption is ill founded, of course, and should be discouraged everywhere for the safe- ty of all concerned. “Where sidewalks or bypaths are not provided in suburban or rural sections school children and others are forced to walk along the high- ways. They should do this, however, only when there is no alternative and when they do walk always should keep to the left, rather than to their right side of the road, so they can see the cars approaching on their side and, if necessary, dart out of the path of oncoming traffic. They should also keep as far to the side of the road as possible and, at dusk or after nightfall, carry a flashlight or, if their clothing is not of light colored material, display a white col- lar, shirt front, or something else that is readily discernible within the focus of the headlights of approach- ing cars. “When dusk comes early and twi- lights are short, as at this season, children and others enroute home in suburban and rural districts often are forced to walk along highways after sundown. This is a practice that fills the motorist with dread and one that in every possible way, should be discouraged. When it is necessary, however, the pedestrian should exer- cise care and caution. “Parents, school teachers, clubs, municipal authorities and oth- , ers interested in the safety of chil- dren and in the protection of all us- ers of the highways should co-oper- ate in every possible way to lessen the dangers of this practice.” ASKS HUNTERS TO SOW SWEET CLOVER | One of the best and easiest ways | for sportsmen to aid in feeding wild game is to scatter quantities of sweet clover seed at suitable places, officers of the Game Commission said. Small patches of clover scattered through the forests in - 250perH Alfalfa feed - - 225perH Meat meal - 4.00 per H Tankage, 609, - 4.25 per H Oyster shell - - 1Ll0perH Fine Stock Salt - = Ll0perH Seed Barley, per bu. - 1.25 Let us grind your corn and oats .and make up your Dairy Feeds with Cotton Seed Meal, Oil Meal, Alfalfa, Gluten Feed and Bran Molasses, We will make delivery of two ton lots. 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