Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-03-07

their duties. 1t also provides that thi:
board may adopt or modify rules ant
regulations in relation to the taking o.
fish and game from time to time, but they
cannot authorize the taking of fish or
game in close time. Ii also provides, and
this is the vital difference between report
B and report c, that the board may, wher
they deem it advisable, entirely prohibi,
the taking of any kind of fish in any part
of the State for series of years, not ex.
ceeding four. Another feature is tina,
this bill iegislates out of office the present
wardens, and provides that the Governor
and the commissioners may appoint
wardens.
Now, bill C differs from bill B in that
it does not give to the fish and game
commission the right to prohibit the tax
ing of fish and game entirely in any part
of the State, the right TO make open and
close time when they please, but 1t merely
provides that they may make such rules
and regulations as they see fit under
which fish and game may be taken or
killed.
The reasons for preparing this bill c, in
my mind, We're that this WAS to Il certain
extent experimental legislation, and that
| it was not wise at once To confer such
enormous powers on a board of commits
sioners as are conferred by bill b. Ii
seemed to US who signed report G that we
had better start in more gradually.
= Another reason why l for ono did not
feel like signing report Is was the fact
that just behind report b lies an appro-
priation of $50, coo. l suppose that if re
port b is adopted, a report will come from
another committee, recommending the
passage of the resolve appropriating $50,
| 600 for the use of these commissioners. |
do not think that we should be warranted
in passing any legislation which requires
| for its enforcement the appropriation of
so large sum.
| Mr.. Engel of Penobscot said that the
| committee on inland fisheries and game
of which he was chairman, heard every
week much evidence and many strong
arguments in favor of this proposed legis
lation, and that if the members of the
! judiciary committee had heard as much
about the matter as they had they would
have agreed unanimously on report b.
He denied that this bill b gave too much
power to the commissioners, and pointed
the enormous saving in the way of re
duced private legislation that would fol
| low if report B We're adopted and the bill
passed.
| Mr.. Hill of kennebec stated that n
general law had never been proposed that
would do away with SO much private and
special legislation us this bill would. He
pointed out that no one outside of the
committee before which it came knew
very much about the great mass of pri-
| vate legislation that went through the
| Legislature, and he considered that this
| proposed board would know more and act
more intelligently than would the Legis-
lature in the matter of legislating for in
dividual ponds or streams. He also re-
minded the Senate that this was directly
| in line with the recommendation of the
| Governor two years ago.
Mr. Hume of Washington said that he
had had his doubts as to the amount of
money which came into the State by
reason of people coming here to hunt and
fish, but that they had been dispelled by
examining the books of one club, which
showed that that one club alone expended
in the neighborhood of its club house in
Maine a sum Of SIS, 600 yearly. He said
that these men who come here to these
clubs are the most particlar in the obser
vance of our fish and game laws, and are
the most strenuous III seeing that they
are obeyed by others. He acknowledged
that bill b gave great powers to the com
missioners, but he agreed with the senator
from Kennebec in thinking that they
were better able to discriminate in such
matters than the Legislature was. and he
should therefore cast his vote for report b.
Mr.. Higgins of York said that there had
been good deal of lobbying, as the
f,,,. Woc
on this matter, and that he, Mr.. Higgins,
had no objection to legitimate lobbying,
as he thought that every man had right
to come here and express his views on sub
jects of legislation. He repeated his argu-
ments against present legislation on this
subject, on the ground that there was so
much divergence of views on the matter
that it would he dangerous to enact
sweeping laws at the present tine.
Mr. Hill of Kennebec said that bill Ii
did not legislate the present commissioner
out of office
The Chair ruled that the motion which
Mr. Savage desired to substitute for the
motion to amend of Mr.. Hill and the mo
ton of Mr.. Higgins was out of order, and
the question accordingly came on the mo-
ton of Mr.. Hill to amend the motion of
MIR. higgins by substituting report Is for
report A.
Motion was carried by Is to 7.
Motion of Mr.. Higgins, as amended,
that the report be accepted. was then
carried, and report Il was accepted, and
the bill accompanying said report was then
read first time, being bill an act amenda-
tory of and additional to chapter 40, Re
vised Statutes, relating to fish and flsheres.
Mr. Hill of Kennebec then offered Senate
amendments A, b, G and ID, which were
adopted, and the bill assigned for its
second reading tomorrow
Senate document No. 164, reports A and
Is of committee on taxation on bill reIat-
ing to assessment of common school fund,
specially assigned for today, was taken
from the table.
Mr.. Wiggin of Aroostook It is known
to you that there has been throughout the
State of Maine growing feeling that the
burden of taxation upon the citizens of
Continued on page 2.