Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-07-08

paid guide who is employed to attend
faithfully to the business Of guiding
and nothing else.
Why are these fire arms taken into
the woods in August and September
1t is close time on all game except
trout and salmon and my observa ton
and experience lead me to the positive
opinion that Winchester rifle cannot
be successfully used as a fly-rod.
Then here is an old evil still menace
ing us as well as the new one from the
Hoosier Country. If could have my
way l would regulate all of these evils
with one short Legislative act. l
would protect the forests from summer
firing of guns even though it be only
at targets, ard l would protect the
game from all possible summer poack-
ing by providing that no nonresident
or any guide accompanying him should
be allowed to carry any fire arms into
the woods except during open season
for game, and then only upon condi-
ton that they purchase a license or
permit from the State and pay there
for, should say not less than ten dol
lars. Under this permit 1 should allow
them to take whatever the law per-
mitted in open season, one moose, two
deer, etc. The people Of Maine own
ing this game as we have seen, and not
considering the situation grave enough
10 demand that they tax themselves
for taking their own property, / should
not make this apply to any of the resi-
dents of Maine. But whether such tax
for the purpose of making this game
protection self-suStaining be in the
form of q gunner's tax. or a hunters
tax upon each moose, or deer killed or
in whatever form it may take, l have
no doubt about or legal right to dis
eliminate in favor of ourselves. The
constitutionality of such discrimina-
ton has been upheld by the highest
Courts.
"A State Law providing for greater
restrictions and severer penalties up
On non-residents of the State than up
on the residents for hunting game anG
game fish is not contrary to the four
teenth amendment to tine federal con-
stitution.''
Eng. and Am. Encyclopedia, Vol. 8,
page 1882 and cases there cited.
But the contention is that such policy
would be offensive and prevent many
from coming tc the Maine woods.
One pertinent reply to this is that
nearly every other state in the Union
and the Provinces of the Dominion of
Canada which are our sharpest cCm-
petitOrs have already enacted drastic
tax and license laws relative to the
killing of game.
Gentlemen who reside in other states
where moose and deer are not abund
ant, but where whatever game they do
have is protected by some system of
taxation of nonresident gunners:
where such a system has long been the
settled policy of their own states take
advantage of the ultra generosity of
our code of protective laws and by
bringing all of their supplies with
them and practically evading the
guide-law by forming themselves into
very large parties SO that the employ
ment Of guide within the meaning of
the law may not be as much per head
as is their tobacco bill; do actually
gain admittance into a hunters Para
disc with very slight expense and prac-
tically none of that expense money
finding it's way into any of the pockets
of the owners of this game.
AS I have already observed. there is
no sentiment about this scheme of pre-
serving the game of our vast forests
The plan is not based upon poetry but
entirely upon commercial principals
We find the game here in our posses
sion wholly within our ownership; we
have discovered that we can sell it to
visitors from abroad for very high
prices and at a great profit. We say
then that we can afford tC preserve it
upon practical bargain and sale
grounds.
have no doubt but what the people
of Maine have now attained to such a
high state of civilization that in any
event they would make it unlawful to
pursue and kill this game during the
period when nature demands that it be
allowed to remain in peace to propo-
gate and rear it's species But there is
q wide difference between a bare en-
actment founded upon ever so sound
principles and an extraordinary effort
to enforce such enactment by the en-
ploymcnt of force of officers.
The laws of Maine in behalf of the
song birds reflect high state of
Thought. of moral ethics and culture
upon the subjects of their preserva-
ton: but TO one has ever dreamed of
raising large amount of money to
employ Warders to enforce these laws.
Because hard headed business men
who manage railroads. build hotels and
inland steamboats,, and intelligent
farmers in the hunting counties who
readily perceive that all this expands
their markets for farm produce nave
satisfied themselves that it is profitable
to save this game, is the reason and
the only reason why unusual attempts
are made 20 enforce the laws for its
preservation.
Mr.. President. If AL the people of
Maine could look at this question from
our point of view or if we could have
great trout and salmon lakes and
ponds with mountains and forests and
some hunting districts with Kineo and
Ranreley Lakes hotels scattered among
them and all sucn placed within each
county of our State, we should not be
in the dilemma in which we now lind
ourselves and might be able to raise
an adequate amount of these purposes.
Unfortunately it is only the people of
five or six of the sixteen counties of
the State who have any direct connec-
tiOn with this industry or who have