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

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for fish which in my humble opinion il
ought to do.
My answer to the first part Of this
| query is, that the large game is worth
saving and that If we should allow it
to pass away forever rs have the buff
falo passed away from the broad west
ern plains, it would be crime. an out
rage upon this generation and to all
who may come after us and an ever
lasting disgrace to the fair name of
the good old Pine Tree State.
But it is said by some that the large
game is increa sing anc the fact that
the game shipments which represent
the annual slaughter of game by the
non-residents, is cited as proof that
the moose and deer are becoming more
abundant. But slight consideration is
required to perceive the falacy of this
reasoning. In the last session of the
American Congress those who opposed
appropriations for protecting the sal
mon Of Alaska, used the same argu-
ment.
Mr.. Lacy, of Iowa, in the House of
Representatives, replied in an able
speech in which he said:
Il was told the other day by a Gov
eminent official that he thought that
the salmon were not being destroyed in
Alaska because the industry had
shown the largest pack in the year
1901 ever known in the history of
Alaska. l said to this gentleman, that
the year the buffalo We're eXterminated
showed the largest killing of any year
in their history. And so in Alaska, the
enormous yield is only an evidence of
the size of the business and of the ire
mendcus efforts that the industry is
making towards its own eXtermina-
ton
Congressional Records, Apr. l, 1902,
page 1851.
The truth is that any unnatural and
excessive destruction of fish and game
is crime against nature, and its pen
allies can never be eva6ed.
Then if the requirements of fish Gull
ture ought to absorb the present fund,
and if the prospect of securing an
other large appropriation for patrolling
the Maine forests for the protection of
game, a gloomy one, it seems to me
that we should follow the advice of
Gov. Powers in his messages to the
Legislature and take a step toward
lIllS SdIuc Ssill
taining-and this can only be done by
compelling those who enjoy this sport
to contribute toward the expense of
sustaining it by some tax or license
system. This is not q new question in
this State, two of or most prominent
members, Hon. John F. Hill, now Gov
ernor of Maine, and Hon. A NJ. Spear,
now member of our Supreme Court
have with others including Mr.. Carl
ton, the able and popular chairman of
the Maine Fish and Game COmmiSs'On
earnestly advocated this measure S'nce
1888. And, Mr.. President, and Gentle
men of the Association, l frankly ad
nit that l have heretofore opposed
such Il plan and I also freely confess
that l have not always been in perfect
accord with all of the manoeuvers of
the Fish and Game CommiSsion-the
have done things which l didn't APP
prove OF. However, they may have
been right and l may have been wrong
and vice versa. But new state of af-
fairs exists today.
I was sincere in my opposition to this
scheme then and l believed Their and 1
believe now that I was then right.
Radical changes have however taken
place since the last public discussion of
taxing hunters at Augusta which was
in 1899.
The past three hunting seasons have
developed an entirely new state of af-
fairs. Besides the seriousness of the
financial phase of this question which
is itself every day becoming more i'm
portant, there has been an influx into
no To Of cnnn6C of hunters
from the middle western states notably
from Ohio and Indiana, who appear to
have none of the aspirations of the real
sportsman. and who in some instances
are veritable market or pot" hunters
taking advantage of our lax system re-
garding non residents, make annually
n wanton slaughter of our game for
gain.
They obtain cheap hunting eycur-
sion rates over the Canadian Pacific
railway. thus patronzing a foreign and
not n State of Maine road, bringing
with them everything that they cat.
drink, wear or use from lager beer to
potatoes ana from iron spoons to WOOL
en- blankets, employing no one, patron
ling no one if it can possibly be avoid
cd 1t is estimated that nearly COG OF
this class of hunters come into the
woods of Maine during the hunting
season of 1901. 1t is doubtful if all of
them together disbursed as much
money among the people of Maine as
did almost any one of the average
sportsmen from places like New York
City in the same length of time.
Those who have large vested inter
ests in the Moosehead Lake region
which depend partly upon the game
hunters for revenue like proprietors of
hotels, steamboats,, ETC., view with
| alarm this entirely new conditiOn-the
advent of these forest gurillas swoop-
| ing down upon US like greedy hawks.
And it has to my mind created new
and alarming danger to the future OF
| our large game.
| That grand monarch of our forests,
the noble moose, and the sleek and
beautiful deer with that pathetic and
tender expression in its almost human
| ewes, have already too many human
enemies without adding to their num-
Der this murderous crew who come to
us over the Canadian road, because
they obtain this game without money
| and without price.
| Mr. President, oil of US who go upon