The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-08
DISTRICT GAME LAWS
Favorable Action Recommended on
the Senate Bills.
The Report of the Commissioners
Snbniitted-The PROPAGATION to stan
the Illegal killing nnd Sale of
the Natural Species - Spawning
Ground in the Potomac River Basin

The District Commissioners yesterda!
recommended favorable action on Senat,
bill S15s, providing for the projection o.
birds, the preservation of game, and fol
the prevention of its sale during he CLOSED
seasons III the District of Columbia.
After suggesting a few minor amend
ments 10 the measure, the Commissioners
the Senate Committee on the District oil
Columbia that the enactment of the meas
ure is earnestly recommended by the Fish
and Game Protective Association Of the
District Of Columbia. composed of over 200
reputable citizens of the District and also
by the Audubon Society which has men,
bership of several hundred.
The changes recommended, say the Com
missioners, are in the nature of a coDces-
sion in order to obviate opposition to the
more important amendments intended to
secure penalties, such as exist generally
throughout the country, and which, 1t Is
believed VIII effectually prevent the Illegal
killing and selling Of birds which are fast
depicting their numbers in many localities.
Another desirable modification of the
,
is removing the restriction which prohib-
tied the shooting of reed birds on certain
days of the week, as il has been found by
experience that its enforcement is not prac-
ticable. The city of Washington has been
Tor many years the market for thousands
of birds Illegally taken in other sections of
the country and brought here for sale after
the seasons had closed In the Western and
Southern States. To this traffic the Com
missioners believe the proposed law would
efectually and promptly put stop.
The Commissioners have also recon-
mended favorable action on the bill pro-
vidlng FOR the protection of fish in the Dis
trict of Columbia, for the maintenance OF
permanent spawning ground in the Po
tomac River in said District and for other
purposes.
Section 2 of the bill the Commissioners
ask TO have amended to read: That no
person shall catch or kill in the waters OF
the Potomac River or its tributaries, with
in the District of Columbia any black bass
otherwise known as green bass or chub),
crappIe otherwise known as calico bass o :
strawberry bass), between the list day of
April and June l of each year, nor have
in his possession nor expose for sale any
of said species between the dates afore-
said, nor catch nor kill any of said species
of fish at any other time during the year
except by angling, nor catch nor kill any
OF the aforesaid species by what are known
as outlines or trot lines. having series of
hooks or devices"
In their letter of transmittal of this bill
the Commissioners observe that 1t has e
approval of the Game and Fish Protective
Association, and of the Commissioner OF
Fish and Fisheries, and that its enactment
is necessary TO maintain the portion OF the
basin of the Potomac River within the
District as a spawning ground AS a result
of the existing laws on the subject they
say the game fish in the river have in
creased In numbers TO such an extent as to
seines profitable, notwithstanding the PEN
hundreds of pounds of these fish have been
taken in a few days, and although the CT
tenders were arrested and fined, the profits
have been so great that they can tfford to
pay the fines and resume the Illegal prac-
tice. In this connection the Commissioners
suggest that if the law were amended so
that the seines boats. and para nhernalia
OF the offenders would be subject to con-
fscation, a better enforcement OF the law
would result.
The recommendation for the amendment
of this bill by changing the limit OF time
in which certain FISH may be caught from
April / TO June I. the Commissioners ex-
plain as designed 10 give opportunity for
those who enjoy fishing to do so on May
80, which is holiday in the District O,
Columbia II adopted this amendment
would make d difference of only one day
in the operation of the law.