The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-12-10
Fish AND GAME LAWS
State Commissioners Make a
Report on the Changes
They Think Necessary
in the Statues.
Especial TO The Jersey City News."1

Especial to 1.-THE Jersey City News."l
TRENTON, Dec. 10, 1S97.-A uniform
open season for all games, from October
Is to December Is, doing away entirely
with the wood cock shooting in July, is
desired by the Board of Fish IN Game
Commissioners of the State, whose annual
report for the year ending October 81,
1897, has just been prepared for presenta-
ton to Governor Griggs and the Legis-
lature. Other important recommendations
of what the Commissioners consider to
be needed legislation are made in the re-
port.
A c~odiflcation of the game laws of the
State is desired. The Commissioners want
a law passed giving protection to pike,
perch, white bass and channel catfish,
because these fish have just been in
reduced into the waters of the State.
They wish spearing to be entirely pro-
hibited, and also night fishing for black
bass. A law is desired for the protection
OF song birds and inseetivorous birds. The
Commissioners also wish the .'Trespass
act" eliminated from the fish and game
laws, where it now is. A uniform inland
tidewater act is also recommended.
Mention is made in the report of the
Menhaden act, whose enactment into
laws was secured two years ago., and the
act is stated to have resulted benefically,
protecting the weaktish, bluefish and
other food fish that feed along the coast
OF New Jersey. Attention is called to the
continued violation of the law in Barne-
gat Bay, through the catching of striped
bass and weakfish with nets.
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have kept a careful watch, bu have been
unable to secure prosecutions because the
residents and hotel proprietors are in
league with the ~violatprs of the Law.
The report Of the Commissioners refers
in vigorous language to the attacks made
by ~wspape upon the commission in
the past year. Under 1.-THE sub title
Malicious Misrepresentation" the re-
port says
"The enforcement of the laws, stringent
at present as compared to former years,
has given some sensational -newspaper
an opportunity for Misrepresentation, and
the wardens have on several occasions
been publicly condemned for acts of
which they are innocent. The most
fragrant instance of this nature was the
publication by several newspaper of a
yarn that four innocent girls had been
arrested and convicted for having Gagged
robins in their possession, for which
statement there was NJ shadow of war
rant. The fact was that four men
Italians-were convicted and fined $40 and
costs for trapping birds. This case was
an aggravated one, a sthose mel had
been for q long time capturing robins and
other birds, which they carried TO New
York and sold. Our records show tha
no girl or woman was ever arrested for
violation of the Fish and Game laws.
In another instance it was stated in
the pap that two poor men had
been sent 10 Jail because, while ignorant
OF the law, they had shot several
thrushes. AS a matter of fact, the
Offenders had been habitualiy violating
the law for a long time, and the wardens.
who finally succeeded in cffecting their
capture. had been watching them for
many days. Both were well-to-do, one
owning a large business and the other
three houses in Jersey City. When they
realized that the sensational publication
in the newspapers would avail them moth
ing. and that they would be compelled to
pay the penalty either by n or inn
~priscnment, they chose the former and
paid $40 and costs.
'sWhenever a charge of hardship or of
improper prosecution has come to the
attention of your Commission it has been
carefully investigated; when the circuln-
stances called for cIemency it has been
extended, and no one has been permitted
to use the fish and game laws as a
medium for prosecution.