Evening star., 1899-03-29
Game Birds in Cold Storage.

| An article in last evenings Star in refer
| ence to the cold storage of game calls TO
| the game protectionist's attention the DOS
| slbility of the ineffectiveness of the recent
| iy enacted game law of the District The
ADMISSION Is made that some birds are now
| IN cold storage which were SO placed two
years ago, and, it is claimed by the dealers
| representative, that the new law does not
| affect those birds, because they were killed
| and stored before the new law was enact
| cd. 1t is announced that a representative
| of the police force inspected the market
cold storage vaults without finding any
prescribed game. Now if, as they contend
these birds are not un.awfully in possession
| Cor concealmenD, why keep them hidden?
| Why do they not put them on sale in open
market, as during the season when it is
not prescribed? The fact that they are not
willing to let the officers or any unsafe
eyes peep at them is, l should think,
very suspicious circumstance
To the lay individual it would seem to be
apparent that If birds could be kept in cold
storage for TWO years they could be so
kept for ten twenty or any number of
years and, such being the case, if the deal
erS proposition be good law, birds could be
sold years hence during the closed seasons
as having been stored before the law went
into effect Violations would constantly
occur, market hunters would kill game out
OF season and dealers would purchase the
products of the unlawful hunt: the birds
would be put in cold storage for a day or
month, or year, and yet be sold as
having been stored before the law went
into effect. All sorts of ruses have been
adopted by game dealers to eVade the game
iaws-every one who reads sportsmen's lit
erature is aware of that, and il is useless
to deny the fact The records of the vari-
Gus fish and game commissions of the sew
eral states show conclusively that attempts
to eVade the game laws, with varying sue
cess, are common among so-caled rep
utable 90 dealers. How is the public 10
know when this old stock of cold storage
game has been exhausted. so that the law
may go into effect? But that is perhaps an
impertinent question, and the dealer would
in all probability tell us that it is none of
our business: but it is reasonably sure that
If their contention is good law, there would
always be a few birds left which were put
in cold storage before the law went into
effect"
provides THAT no person shall kill, expose
for sale, or have in his or her possession,
either dead or alive any partridge, quail,
woodcock, prairie chicken, pinnated grouse,
ruffed grouse or pheasant, wild turkey,
rabbit (other than English rabbit, snipe or
plover wild duck, wild goose or brant,
water rail or ortolaE, reed bird or rice bird
or marsh blackbrd, during certain seasons,
each of which is clearly defined. Another
section of the law empowers the represent
ative of the police department to thor
oughly inspect any house, boat, market
box, stall, cold storage, other place, of
whatever character or kind. where he may
believe game, meats or birds, as heretofore
mentioned in this chapter, may be stored or
kept during the c.osed season, when it
is unlawful to have game in possession or
for sale. 1t is apparent TO the unpreju1icej
person that the foregoing was inserted In
order to prevent the violation of the law.
1t is very clearly set forth.
If the dealers are SO certain that their
point will hold good in the courts, let them
put their hidden birds in open market for
sale, and thus make a test case. They do
not dare do this. /. WALTER SHARP.
March 81. 1899.