Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1941 )

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN Eoaorable C. 2. Patterson County Attornap Erewster Comty Alpha, Tsxaa Dear Sir: Oplnlon No. o-3895 Ral Comlssioasrel Courtr - 8m- gloyment of roll trappers Your request for opinion hae been rooalred and camfully considered by thls deprtsont. Xa quote from your request as follows~ “Can a county le~slly ?ay out funds to apply on l/3 of the salary for a govermont trapper, and if they oan are they ltiited to number or trappers that may be employed? “The praetloa as fOllOwed 1~: for an. assoolatlon to* my l/3 of the salary oi .:overn- zsnt trappers, the state government a l/3 and the commissioners aourt the other l/3. *Aatistated before, I would agproolate an op’inlon as to whether or not the Corz.is- eloners Court can. lemlly _3ay the i/3 or said salaries, and if they oan, are the limit- ed on rumbar or trappers that may be thus em- gloyed.” se assume rraa your roGueat that you are reterring to wolr trappers ecgloyed by the United States Department or agioulture, Eureau of Slolo~lcal Survey, in cooperation With the Chalrzan or the Llvest.ook Sanitary COmmiGSlOn of Texas and the Commissioners’ Court of your County, end our answ3r hereto Is b2sed ugon t&t assumption. Article 192b, 3action 1, Vernon’s Annotntad Texas Civil Statutes, reeds as r0iloprs: “380. 1. T:?latthe %htA Of Telli Will cooperate through the Live Stock Sanitary ’ 1 Eonoreble C. 3. Patterson, Page 2 Comlselon of Texna with United States Depart- mnt of Agrloulture, Sureau of ~lolo~lo~l aur- voy, In doetroylng ooyotes, wolves, ziountaln ll&ms, bobcats and other .medatory anlzala, end - . throw the +rioDtural and Eo’sohanlcal Coll3ege of Texas will cooperate with the United States Depar??ent of Asrioulture Bureau of Slolo;ical arvey, in destroy1 pra rle dam, pocket ;o+srs (salammders “g jack i rabbits, ground s&rrols and othsr rldent pests In the lnter- eat of the proteotlon of live stock, crops and ranges,” Article 192b, seotion 4, Vsrnon@s Annotated Teraa Civil Statutes, reads as followsa “SBC* 4. The Chalman of ths Live Stook -lanitary Comleslon of Texas la hereby au- thorized and dlreoted to exeoute a ooopsretive a rtie~nant *::lth the 33oretar:: OS A&.oulture or ths i7nlted States of America or the ijuraau or Blolo&ioal Survey of the United Statee of A~erloa for carryir.6 out euoh cooperative work iz predatory anlml oontrol in such manner und under such regulations as my be stated ln sali! agrement. The president of the Agloul- tural r,nd XecZhaaloal Colle,:e of Tams Is hereby authorized and dlreotad to execute a ooopera- tiva ageement With the Seoretary of Azrloul- ture or the Bureau of Blolo~loal Survey for carryisg out such cooparative work In rodent control In suoh manner and under such ragula- tlons aa fray be stcted in said agr3ement~m Article 192b, Section 5, Vernon’s Annotated Texas Civil Statutes, reads ar followa; *Sec. 5. Tbnt the Comlsslonors’ Court of any county within the State or the govern- in;.: body or any Incorporated oltp or town within the Stata 1s empowered and authorized at Its dlsoratlon to appropriate tunds for the proaeoutlon of tha predatory animal and rodent control u:ork oontelaploted by this Aot (Art. 192b; P. C. art. 1378a) end In ooopsra- i .- .- . . 443 Honorable C. 3. Patterson, Page 3 tion vSth &ate and Federal authorities to an- ploy labor and to mrohaoe and provide supplies ra:*zlred for the o?feotive prosecution or this vor!:." Article 192b, %&ion 6, vernon*s Annotated Texss ., . Civil Ltatutos, roads 25 rollowsr "SBO. a. All furs, sk.insand 5ytELmens taken by h'&ters or trappers, pild froraState funds shall be sold under fules rrescrlbed by tha Live stock sanitary Cocmlsslon of Tews und .thsprocoeds o? suoh sales shall be paid iiito the State Trsasu2y to be Oredited and added tc soid.?rsdatory an&al fund. All furs,, skins, :ci s;octiens taken by hunters or trap- pers ?aid from-county funds &all be sold 3s prescribed by the Cormlssl~nsrs~ Court of the comty, and the ;rooasds cl euoh sale shall be ?!~lc 1r.t.othe County Trsasury to be credited A& added to such predatory enimal fund, jro- vidod t.hetncy speohen so taken rraybe pre- sented free of charge to tho iqpicultural and L;'ocharloalColler,e,or any othsr St3te lnstl- tution or to the United States Rational ?r'usasm fcr scientific _=ur;osos.* @inion Xo. Q-2709 of this de;?artzentholds that the Comlssionorel Court of Havarro County had authority to help pay the srlzry of a wolf trqqe,r where the United States De- gzrtxnt or z&gloulture, Bureau of ?Solo~lc3l Survey, i;aid 'rh9rs.m+ndsr of ths wolf trapper's salary. Ye enolose here- ?ith a copy of said o~lnion for your informtion. You are rosgaotfuily idvised thet it is the oplnlon sf this de~~rtmnt th3t the Comisaloners~ Court has authority to gay 0ut county funds (fro31the general ruad 0r the county) to agplp on the aalery oi suoh government wolf trapper. It is our furthsr opinion that the Cozmissioners~ Court may eclploy or assi:st in the payzont of the oalarles of 85 raanyeuoh govern- lrentwo:lr trappers as the Court In its sound dieoration detsr- m;ncs t,obe necessary. Your5 very truly 3P