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im es Pa 7 re f. . ? chen! . {* i¥s ord "- ". ViuysPations © .) * tr ‘Probe Disappointing a * — Examination of the first quarterly report sub- . mitted in our famous $50,000 cattle mutilation probe would Indicate results to date can be described at best disappointing. The worst might be to suggest it’s a waste of the taxpayers’ money.. - In summary, chief investigator Ken Rommel, at a salary of $25,000 a year, gave interviews to ’ television stations and newspapers, talked with the - _ Colorado Bureau of Investigation, confirmed support from a numer of state agencies (which he had. . alresdy) and checked out three suspected _ mutilations in his first five weeks on the job. , That cost about $2,500 in salary plus unknown expenses. ; . The report says the investigations into the three cattle deaths (one each in Milaga, Coyote and Tres Piedras) were not complete, although one Albuquerque newspaper quoted Rommel as saying aj) three were caused by predators. But lo and behold, a mutilation reported in Trochas Saturday morning, only several hours after the animal's death and probably the freshest in-. cident to date, had yet to be checked out by 4p.m. . Tuesday — more than four days later. Our ‘‘Desert Fox" hadn't made it to Truchas, the state police hadn't responded, the livestock inspector was not to be seen and the only explanation our district at- torney (he's the one who got the $50,000 grant) had was "it was a weekend.” We must advise our cattle mutilators that the . game is played only five days a week — we rest on weekends. ‘ Now fellows, there is a tremendous amount of interest in this subject as evidenced by the turnout. - for the Albuquerque conference conducted by New Mexico's Sen. Harrison Schmitt. Additional proof is the fact that the feds coughed up $50,000 to look into it. While the public can't expect a solution in the - first sic weeks of activity, for pete’s sake they can expect more than that skimpy one-page report issued last week. And they can expect, for the money they are putting out, for someone to show up to in- “vestigate reported mutilations. ‘- But as one optimist remarked cheerfully: “Look - et it this way; it's only $50,000. It could have been _ halfa million.” *— Pot , a nt a ee eT