The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1898-02-18

The Game and Fish Protective As
ISOLATION have introduced bill in the
Legislature which should receive the
careful scrutiny of our law makers
before it becomes law and especially
so by the Hartford delegation as it af-
fectS The interests of many of our
residents, whether engaged in the
fishing business for pleasure or pro-
fit. There is surely plentiful supply
of all that goes to furnish the pursuit
of pleasure to the one class and the
means of existence to the other and
why such drastic measure as the
present bill is, should be agitated can
be only attributed to pure greed and
selfishness. There are more fish in
our rivers than this kid gloved
aristocracy could possibly catch for
amusement, but like dog in the
manager who could not eat hay, they
are determined to rob many a poor
man of his very life blood for some
thing which will not enrich them.
Speaking of this display of greed
the Baltimore Herdid says:
1t was Just such an unre asonable
sentiment which nearly so years ago,
prompted the Baltimoreaus interested
in the Carroll Island Club to, through
their influence, have measure passed
by which shooting of ducks, except
from the natural shore, should be
prohibited in the State. The measure
was calculated to uttely ruin the
business of several hundred men
whose business it was to gun for a
living on our flats, and were fitted for
no other calling The object of the
measure was apparent-it was simply
TO prohibit the market gunner, be-
cause he had no landed possessions to
shoot from, and by closing the flats
to shooters the lower rivers would be
most bountifully supplied with ducks
therefrom Could anything be sug-
gested more unreasonable than was
this measure. passed by a few men to
accomplish their selfish ends, and
wrestling from the residents of Har-
ford and Cecil counties their cherished
hunting grounds, which, by reason of
their location, rightfully belong to
them?
The spirit of 7G was still present,
and they rebelled when an attempt
was made to force them to comply
with the law. The oyster police boat
was called upon and much of the gun
ners' property was destroyed, but
when the commander attempted to
destroy the battery of Capt. Barney
Bartoi he was met by the old captain
with swivel gun mounted on the
bow of his sloop, and WAS halted.
The investigators of this act soon saw
their mistake and were ready to re-
treat Accordingly the present gun
ming law for the Susquehanna flats
was passed in 1872. By its provisions
to some extent. While some of its
features are very commendable,o Others
are as much to be condemned.
One section of the present law will
show the absolute inconsistency of the
whole measure and we publish it YER
batim.
No person shall catch, or in any
manner take Cr kill, in this State at
any time, any white perch of any size
less than seven inches in length, or
any yellow perch of any size less than
CIS 1T III vi pIhC vi
any size less than fourteen inches in
length, or any rock or striped bass. or
any tailor of any size less than ten
inches i'll length, measuring in the
case of each fish from the tip of the
nose to the end of the caudal fin, under
penalty of two (2) dollars for each
fish SO caught, taken or killed.
q Now will any one of the fathers of
this bill please tell the ignorant pub
lie how the poor fisherman is going to
tell what sized fish is nibbling at his
bait, and also whether it is a yellow
or white perch. rock, bass or tailor.
II has been suggested that we could
weigh the fishes with their own scales
and utilize 4 submarine boat to de-
termine the species. Whether this
will be practicable or not, we will ask
these Baltimoreans to determine.
We are sorry that space forbids a
more lengthy discussion of this mat
ter, but feel sure that our representa-
tives at Annapolis will use both their
votes and influence to bury the whole
measure deep in Jones Falls, where it
prioinotal