The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-02-26
The GUN.
Why the Emeric Game Bill Should
Not Become a Law.


It looks now as If the Emeric game bill
will receive a complete knockout when II
gets within shooting distance Of the Sen
ators
Since its success in the Assembly the gen.
tlemen of the Senate have been looking into
the proposed new game laws, which do not
seem to coincide with their ideas.
There are a few farmers in the Senate
who believe that if the Emerie bill should
become law they would be relieved Of the
trouble of notifying irespassers 10 keep of
In his particular it viii not change the
present law in the least as IL Is miSde-
meauDr ard punishable By Inc Tor any man
10 enter upon the inclOsed property Of an
other without The la,ter'S sanction and per-
mission.
What Mr.. Emeric wants in particular is
10 prevent the poor and iBOffensIve srOrts-
men. who delight IN a few hours duck
shoOiingOn the wild and waste marsh lands,
from the enjoyment OF that sport.
EmeTic and his supporters put up the
clam that the resident farmers within
radius Of fifty miles of San Francisco are
eternallv annoyed by tramp hun tiers, who
shoot everything that wears fur or feathers.
Is il not strange that there have been no
protests from these farmers whose interests
Mr. Emeric pTetends to be so eDgT0ssed in
al nFesent?
There are a few landowners 10 Contra
Costa County adjoining Mr.. Emeric's es-
tate who will support the game protector"
in his idea of what should constitute game
protection.
If vote were taken, however, Of the
farmers Of the adjoining counties 10 San
Francisco Mr.. Emer.c world stand CON-
pletely out OF order. as his bill is considered
by large majority Of the landowners as
being obnoxious and decidedly nn-Ameri-
can.
If game must be protected the protection
certainly cannot be upon marsh and uneul-
tivated grounds.
The only game that freQuents the marshes
are duck and geese. Both kinds are migra-
tory, and as large graln-growers are aware,
OF all game birds geese and ducks are the
most destructive.
Looking at game protection from a stand
ard as advocated by Mr. Emerie IN making
II an oifense TO shoot upon marsh lands-un-
incl0sed prOpeTty-it does not seem as If The
proposed law would benefit either the
farmer or notwithstanding few gun
clubs that have leased thousands OF acres
of barren swamDs in Contra Costa County,
and in whose interest Mr.. Emeric is now
politically battling
The principal game VI ich requires pro-
lection are quail and deer.
OF the other kinds, such as elk, mountain
sheep, pheasant, etc, their mum ers are SO
few in this State that il is almost unneces-
sarp 10 inc. ode them in the statutes.
Quail and deer are seldom found upon
marsh and swamp lands, consequently the
idea Of preserving game by Furnishing hunt
ers WHO enter upon inclosed territory. such
as above described. seems most absurd,
and the proposed law in this respect should
be considered by no means as an act TO pre-
serve the game of the State from indiscrim-
mate slaughter by alleged pOt-hHnters.
The game that should be preserved fire.
Quents iBclosed property only, and if the
laws as they now read were only properly
enforced there would be ample sufficiency
OF game and fish for all lovers OF the chase
without The painful necessity Of a line of
distinction being drawn between the rich
and the poor. The Wasp Of the 18th inst.
presents very excellent cartoon Of the sit
uatOn. showing what we are coming TO.
Senate bill II. now before the Oregon
Legislature, makes il unlawful for hunters
to shoot from or upon the county read, and
dogs lresDassing upon the premises or lands
Of another may be killed by the landowner
without further ceremony. Is not this a
rather summary way Of disposing Of a mans
personal property?