The record-union., 1893-02-09
CHANGES IN GAME Law.
Objections of San Francisco Sports
men to Pending Bills.
A Committee Sent Here to Protest
Against Some of the Proposed
Changes in the Law.

John Stack, G. A. Wentworth, w. A.
/. Miller, Allan Kelly and Z. G. Borden
came up from San Francisco yesterday as
committee representing the Sports
mems Convention held in that city on
Tuesday evening to consider some of the
proposed changes in the game law now
pending in the Legislature. The purpose
of the committees visit is to urge modi-
1ication or the elimination OF some of the
clauses.
A committee previously appointed re-
ported as follows TO the meeting, and the
report was adopted:
"We find many commendable PROPOSE
tions in Mr.. Emerics bill and some ut
terly at variance, in our opinion, with all
notions of fair play. Every citizen OF
this State contributes directly or indi-
rectly to the cost of protecting the game
and fish, which are the common property
of all, and every citizen has an equal right
10 that game wherever it may happen to
be.
eve regard the attempt to monopolize
the privileges of the field by lew
wealthy shooting and fishing clubs and
land-holders as subVersive OF our
rights. We consider the bill of Mr.. En-
eric to be an Inauguration, perhaps we
should say an extension, of class leglsla-
tion.n
Several radical changes in the Emeric
OH were suggested. One was TO make
possession of game or fish out OF season
prima facie evidence of guilt and thereby
place the burden OF proof as 10 the source
from which the contraband articles were
derived upon the possessor OF them, IN
stead of upon the prosecution, as Is the
rule under the recent decisions of Police
Courts and Justices of the Peace.
Another change was to make an open
season for deer, elk, antelope and mount
ain sheep from July lst to October lst OF
each year. This change found universal
approval as to deer, but large number
favored the total exemption of elk, an
telope and mountain sheep on the ground
that those species were so nearly extinct
as TO make radical protection essential to
their continuance.
One member stated that the elk of
Southern Oregon were gradually entering
and stocking the northern counties OF
California, as the animals found that in
Oregon they were pursued, but IN Cali
1ornia were comparatively free from dan
ger.
\ third suggestion was to forbid possess
sion OF green hides of game, and also pro-
hibiting the possession by cold storage
companies and eating-houses ofany game
during close season.
The use of shotguns greater than No. 10
bore was deprecated as 10 water fowl and
all feathered game. The final suggestion
was to forbid the use of packs of hounds
in hunting deer. The report favored
permitting the use of two hounds when
closely accompanied by the owner, the
dogs TO be used for trailing wounded
deer, rather than for running the ami
mails over passes.
Thomas Kennedy and M. J. Geary
were appointed to visit the various rail-
ways and urge the Importance of unre-
stricted shooting and fishing as a source
OF revenue to the companies in the way of
1ares. The following resolution was
adopted:
ReSOtred. That this association condemn as
Ubiquitous and harassing the provision OF
Senate Bill, No. IS, known as the Flint bill,
in Offering bribe TO officers of $40 for the ar
rest of suspected vioators of the game law
arrest is just or not, out of the county
treasury
Messrs. Kennedy and Geary were ap-
pointed a committee to draw the atten-
tion of the editors of the papers to the
portions of the Emeric bill which are a
discrimination against poor people who
desire to enjoy days sport in the coun-
try.
"Why, gentlemen" said one of those
present, you could not pass bill of this
kind in Russia or China. Just imagine
how ridiculous it is. n l should happen
TO be in Sausalito, for instance, dressed
as hunter, county official can. accord
ing to Mr.. Flints bill, throw me into
prison because by so doing he receives a
reward of SlO."