The record-union., 1892-11-30
FISH AND GAME.
Something Should Be Done to Pre-
serve Both.
Comments on the Report Just Issued
by the State Board of Fish
Commissioners.


ested in the preservation of our fish and
game. The time is rapidly approaching
when the best varieties of both will be
practically exterminated, and one valu-
able heritage of the people viii have been
destroyed in order to fill the pockets of a
few poachers, market hunters and hide
hunters, unless public opinion can be
aroused to influence legislation so that
the hands Of the vandals may be stayed.
Other States have had the same problem
to wrestle with that are presented to us.
Those which have successfully solved it
have done so very largely on the line
suggested in this report, that of the ap-
pointment of State Game Wardens and
Deputy Wardens, to be paid fair salaries
for the labor they perform, and who must
devote their whole time to the preserva-
ton of the FISH and game interests, secure
the arrest and conviction of lawbreakers
as far as possible, and make the violation
of the game law so unsafe and expensive
a thing that obedience to it may become
the rule.
A most powerful auxiliary to their
work will be the education of the public
to the fact that the preservation of our
fish and game is not Il matter which
simply preserves IL for the amusement of
a few who are able to take their outings
ing more wealthy or having more leisure
than their fellows. This idea is largely
received as a fact by many who care little
or not at all for field sports, or who for
various causes cannot engage III them,
but II is an erroneous one. Neither Is the
question q sentimental one, but is essen
TALLY an economic and business PROPOSE
ton.
Both Maine and Michigan have amply
demonstrated during the past two years
that the appointment OF State Game
Wardens has resulted in a large increase
of large game, and choice fishing has not
only brought steady influx of travel,
both of tourists and sportsmen, who
bring and dispense large sums Of money
within the State, thereby stimulating
business, but also has induced clubs,
composed of residents of other States, to
build and furnish clubhouses and pre-
serves which have added largely TO the
taxable property of the community and
thereby diminished the rate of taxa
ton.
Minnesota is a still more striking in
stance of the latter phase OF results, the
summer resorts on its lakes and the
various clubhouses adding several mill
ions of taxable property TO the list.
Our State can well afford to comply
with the suggestion of the commission in
appointing Game Wardens and deputies
and in iniorcing the law. The Commits
blDuGIS ldNO AlOlAb WOIlNtIS VIII lH6
paltry sum of 5000 annually, which was
appropriated for their use in this direc-
ton.
They ask now for all annual appropria-
tion OF $4,000, which they think will
enable the Wardens to properly patrol
the entire State and preserve our fish
and game, as well as restore it where de-
pleted.
They recommend also that 'the law
should be changed SO as TO make possess
sion of any fish or game at time when
1t Is unlawful to take or kill the same a
misdemeanor, without regard to where
the fish or game were taken or killed. AS
the law now stands it is claimed that fish
or game may be brought into this State
from another State, when it is lawful in
the other State to take or kill the same,
although at the same time it is unlawful
to take or kill in this State.'
This question has been settled in
number of States by such laws as sug-
gested, and has been found to largely put
stop to illegal killing at home, and
shipping under pretense that they were
killed outside the State.
The restriction and limitation of the
cold storage system is also recommended.
Its total abolition as regards game out of
season would be far better, If tor no other
reason than that it stimulates the market
hunter to slaughter all he can during the
close season, far in excess of what he
could protitably dispose of in the market
at the time, and thus thinS out both game
and fish to a much greater degree than
would be done if it were only for present
consumption.
Besides, the experience of other States
has been that where cold storage was al
lowed advantage of it was taken by deal
erS to buy and sell game and fish really
killed during the close season, under pre-
tense that they were lawfully killed and
held in cold storage.
Recommendations are also made with
regard TO some amendments in the law
whereby omissions and antiquities NAV
be cOrrected the Commissioners be given
the right to take at any time any kind of
game or ilsh for propagation; requiring
ditch owners to place wire screens at the
entrance of their bitches; for the protec-
ton for some years of valuable game
birds introduced here, and various minor
ones which are all good.
The commission does not touch. how
ever, on the question Of what we shall do
with the carp, question which is fast
becoming vital one IN this State where
they are increasing SO fast rs to have be-
come nuisance, and even menace to
the health of the people. They are stead
lily starving out and displacing other food
nShes OF Infinitely more value, befouling
our water supply, driving away the wild
ducks by eating their food, or forcing
them for want of 1t to make much greater
lnroads on the grain fields of the farmer.
and finally in the fall when the ponds
which are full of them, dying by millions
and polluting the atmosphere with their
stencil and breeding fever and disease in
the community.
Two plans for at least lesseninp this
evil are suggested by parties outside of
the board. The first is the introduction |
into our waters of black bass and plckereI |
IN such numbers that few wears of in |
crease will enable them to keep the earn
down and prevent their further increase |
by deyouring their eggs and young. |
This will give the State a supply Of two
valuable kinds of food and game fish in |
few years, and as both species are yora-
cious and will have in the carp an almost |
ineXhaustible supply of food, they ought |
to increase very rapidly while eXtermi- |
mating the carp. To these might be |
added some varieties of Eastern pike and
lnaScalonge, which would give the State !
fine array of game and food fishes
Another plan suggested is that author
lty may be given by law to the Commits |
sioners to use ut their discretion dy-
Mantle in the small lakes and ponds |
which have been taken possession OF by
the carp, and which generally contain at
the most few catfish and inferior fish.
Such fish after being killed could be
placed in the market and as many sold as
there was demand for, thus affording
cheap food for the people. The remainder |
can be used as manure for enriching the |
land, as Is largely done with inferior fish
on the Atlantic Coast.
This would largely clear of carp the |
inland ponds, which serve as hatcheries |
for them. and which distribute them into |
the rivers of the State whenever the lev
ees break, and may aid in a solution of