The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1890-01-26
A NEW GAME LAW.
ASsemblyman Kerr's Pro-
posa1 to Abolish Anon
allies and Abuses.

PATERSON, Jan. %, Assembly
man John T. Kerr has in his possess
ion bill which he will introduce at
the present session OF the Legislature
which repeats all the general laws re-
lating to fish and game and enaets a
code which any man understanding
the English language can understand.
liz would be impossible to find any
thing worse mixed up than the pres
emit laws on this subject and eminent
lawyers frequently differ as to what is
the law. Laws of this nature ought
certainly to be plain, for they affect a
large portion of the population of this
State. In addition TO this there is no
adequate method of enforcing the
laws.
For the purpose of opviating these
difficulties a generallaw for the protec-
tecting of fish and game was drawn by
the warden OF this county. The bill
was then submitted to Hon. John w.
Griggs and County Clerk Smith and
such alterations were made as were
suggested, The bill provides little
that is radical. 1t is a compendium
OF the laws that exist at present with
such changes as were made necessary
on account of conflicting portions of
the present laws and such as were
deemed advisable for good reasons.
A TYRANNICAL ENACTMENT.
There is a law at present in this
State providing that a person who
carries gun on land not his own is
liable TO punishment unless he has
permission in writing from the owner
or legal possessor of the property. The
words in writing were dropped in
the new bill. Under the law, as it
stands at present, farmer must give
permission to hunt on his property,
and then the hunters might be prose-
cuted by some maIiciously inclined
persons and they would be mulcted.
When farmer does not post his
land it is supposed that he does not
object TO hunting there and under the
new bill permission in writing is not
required
Ehe new bill does away with the
stringent and absurd distinctions as to
Presidents. Under the present
laws non-residents are subjected to
heavy fines for hunting in New jersey
and these laws are enforced in some
portions of the State. A broader and
more liberal policy was deemed neces-
sai'y.
THE OPEN SEASON.
The open season for fish and game
are allowed to remain as they are at
present with two exceptions. The
season for trout is changed so as to
open the season on March j; trout are
ffaTAr1rrh lRv-t ba 4
there is no reason why they should
not be caught. The law on SQUIRRELS
is also changed. AT present black and
fox squirrels may be shot from Sen
TENDER ] to January 1, and grey SOUR
rels from the LIST of November to the
18th Of December; the new bill opens
the season for all kinds of SQUIRRELS on
the LIST of September and closes it on
the 18th of December. The law on
perch is made uniform with the law
on pike and pic6erel.
at present perch cannot be caught
out OF lakes during March and April
under penalty of State Prison. but
there is nothing to prevent their be-
ing caught out of streams at all times.
The close season for perch, pike and
picSerel is, according 10 the new bill.
lhE AAOAAbhS Vi w al Cl dilt Al1fli.
Al the present there is no way of
enforcing the laws in relation to game.
unless the Board of Freeholders orders
the Fish Wardens to enforce them on
Sunday. ii a Fish Warden enforces
them on other days lie does so as q
private Individual and he is respcn-
sible for the costs Of prosecution in
CURED. According to the new bill the
Fish WaFdens are constituted War
dens and are given the same power in
connection with the game laws they
now have under the laws relating to
fish.
There is no doubt that the Legisla-
ture will find some amendments to be
made to the bill, but il it passes sub
stantiaily as it is now the law will be
clear to every person and there will be
methods of enforcing it. A number
Of the rod and gun clubs in this city
and kindred organizations are
at present engaged in con
sideFing TINS bill and it is expected
that they will all favor it with such
amendments a. they may suggest.
The new bill removes a number OF
onerons restrictions ct present placed
on sportsmen, and its object is 10 pro-
tect game as we'll as TO make it easy
Tor every person to know Just what
the law is. without interfering with
the rights OF property owners.