St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-04-22
sPoRTsMANLIKE ZEAL.


men in sending out men to detect any
infringement of the game laws relating
to the unlawful taking of fish cannot be
too highly commended. 1t is notorious
fact that persons, either ignorant OF I'M
scrupulous, have been in the habit Of
seining in the rivers tributary to Min
nesota lakes as soon as the ice went out,
thereby being able to put fresh fish on
the market at an early date, and reallz-
ing substantial profit.
This is not only unlawful, but it Is
calculated to destroy Minnesota's pres
tige as a fishing ground. The fish are,
in most instances, taken before spawn
ing, and in consequence every capture
means the destruction of hundreds OF
fish which would otherwise have been
Matched out, and would have replen-
ished the lakes. The laws against
illegal fishing are supposed to be as
stringent as the other game laws, but
the truth is that none of them is OBJ
served.
Waterfowl are killed wherever and
whenever found, and fish are caught in
whatever manner and at whatever time
pleaSes the pot-boilers. This injudiciOuS
and wholesale destruction can, in time,
have but one result. The game and the
fish will both disappear, and the thou
sands of sportsmen who turn naturally
to Minnesota will go elsewhere, to say
nothing of the diminutiOn of the food
supply of which the Minnesota lakes
are now the source.
Of course, the laws of the state should
be so well enforced as to make serious
depreciation impossible, but since that
is not the case, the gentlemen who are
attempting by private enterprise to pro-
teet Minnesota game interests are en-
titled to the lasting gratitude of every
true sportsman.
BOARDS OF ARBITRATION.
The bill which has passed the house
Representatives providing for national
boards of arbitration is step in the
right direction, and, if modified in sew
eral essential particulars, might accom-
plish something of the purpose for
which it is intended. But the principle
which it embodies is eminently sound.
Some way should be discovered of pre-
venting the commerce of the country
from being paralyzed for weeks at
time by contests between capital and
labor, where the most essential thing in
preventing settlement of difficulties is
pride upon one side and stubbornness
on the other. The good,of the country
should rise superior to the desire for
winning in contest of pure endurancer
but, except by national legislation, there
is no way to prevent these contests
from continually menacing the coun7
try's prosperity.
By the establishment of national
boards of arbitration, composed of men
in whom both capitalists and laboring
men would have confidence, and by
whose decisions they would bind them
selves to abide for at least one year.
much could be accomplished. Railroad
strikes. for instance, which not only re-
act upon both workmen and company,
but also include the innocent public in
the general suffering and embarrass-
ment, would be reduced to the minimum,
if not abolished entirely.
At any rate, the promise of the bill is
great enough to warrant the hope that
congress may see fit to place it in a
position to prove its efficacy. Some
thing of the kind is sadly needed-that
is becoming more evident every day.