The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-10-29

ment of laws to protect their efforts.
The great obstacles these men have to
encounter are avarice and lawlessness.
These prevail almost everywhere in the
state, but at no place in so aggravated
a form as along the shores of Lake
Champlain and its tributary streams.
A yearly battle between law and law
lessness goes on along the shores of
the lower waters of that lake, and BIZ
ennial battle takes place in the state leg
islature over measures that shall stand
between the fish and extinction by men
who fear not God and respect not the
officers of the law, unless respect is en-
forced at the muzzle of n revolver.
Laws for the protection of fish from
wholesale destruction during the season
of reproduction and growth have been
passed, but the difficulty has been both
to make the laws sufficiently stringent
and to enforce even the partially cffec-
tive measures that have been passed.
For good reasons local officials cannot
be trusted with the enforcement of fish
laws, but this difficulty has been par
TALLY overcome by the appointment of
fish wardens living at distance from
the interested localities. The legisla-
ton of 1892 was a step forward, but the
officers have found back of them law
qti1 FOO tpnal- II, re vic 10
cOmplish little else than the inhiction
upon illicit fishermen of the loss of
their nets when captured. The . for
feits which the existing statute pro-
vides can have only one effect if en-
forced-to fill the local iails, at the
expense of the towns, with a lot of i'm
poverished and utterly irresponsible
fishermen, hired for the most part by
some responsible person who does not
himself come within range of the pro-
visions of the law. Nothing can be col
lected of these men. The hardship of
their imprisonment falls upon the town
and the practical operation of the " for
felt" plan is to turn them loose after
capture to supply themselves with new
nets and resume their illegal fishing.
1t is now recommended, as The WATCH
MAN suggested two years ago, to change
the :" forfeit - for each fish found in
possession to a fine, with the aterna-
tive, in case of non-payment, of sem
tence to the house of correction. 1t is
believed that a penalty of this kind
would have a wholesome influence.
Power to seize fish illegally taken
wherever found and sell within twenty
four hours, unless lawful claimant
puts in an appearance, is also recon-
mended. We understand that during
"close seasons THE season of statu-
tory rohibition-fishermen spend their
nights upon the fishing grounds and
barrel and deliver their catches at the
stations before daylight. The fish are
found in the morning consigned to some
party in New York and payment comes
by check to the unknown owner. Or
barrels of fish are found in possession of
some impecunious teamster. The ac-
tual owner does not appear and the
state, as the law is now, is without the
means of furnishing effectively what it
is perfectly clear is a gross violation of
the fish law. The fishermen have their
"spotters " at st. Adams, Swanton and
other localities, and when an officer is
discovered on their track a caution is
telegraphed and a signal from Alburgh
bridge conveys the warning to the
moonshiners - on the fishing grounds.
These, as we understand ii, are few
only of the ways and means of evading
the law. To legitimate fishing at
proper seasons the utmost liberty is
and should be given, but taking fish by
hundreds of barrels daily at seasons
which ensure utter humiliation in
brief time is entirely illegitimate, and
it is the states right and duty to enact
and enforce rigid laws against whole
sale barbarous destruction that enriches
few to the loss and injury of the pub
lie generally. We hope the legislature
will take up this matter again, and, CO.
operating with New York and Canada,
enact law that will preserve the states
fishing grounds for the permanent good
and pleasure of all the people.
Agricultural Report.