The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1902-02-11
SAYS CHARGES WE'RE NOT SIGNED
BY REGULAR SECRETARY OF
GAME ASSOCIATION.
ARE VAGUE AND INDEFINITE
State Warden Answers in Detail and
at Great Length All Charges Against
His Official Conduct - Says They
Are Not the Result Of Honest In
vestigation.
Especial to Inter Mountain.)

Especial to Inter Mountain)
Helena, Feb. 11.-State Game Warden
w. Il. Scott this morning filed his an
swer with Governor Toole in reply to
the resolutions of censure passed by the
Montana Fish and Game Protective as
sociation, led by the Helena division.
Mr.. Scott says, in the first place, he
notices that the resolutions were signed
Montana Fish and Game Protective as
sociation, by A. l.. Palmer, Secretary"
and that he desires to inform the gov
ernor that no legal meeting of the asso-
citation was held at the time they were
passed or they were not adopted by
| quorum of its executive committee.
Not Properly Passed.
| They were passed at a meeting OF the
Helena division and should have been
signed by II. w. Menth, secretary
He enumerated the seven members Of
the executive committee of the associa-
tion and said that j. M. Boardman, Fred
Naegele and A. l.. Palmer were present
at the local meeting and as the majority
OF the committee was absent 1t appeared
to him that Mr.. Palmer has been over
enthusiastic In his attempt to make 1t
appear that the state organization had
arraigned him instead of the local
| branch.
He said that 1t was also equally ap-
| parent that Mr.. Palmer had been guilty
OF an abuse and usurpation of his official
authority.
Mr.. Boardman, one of the three MEM
| bers of the executive committee present
at the meeting, had assured him that nno
meeting of the executive committee had
been held. Mr.. Scott said he had also
received letter from Professor Elrod,
| another member of the committee, stat
ing that he had nothing to do with the
! resolutions, "as to the resolutions of
| the Helena division, they were animat-
ed solely because he had refused to ap-
| point as deputies certain men who were
! the prime movers in this attack"
Gives Several Reasons.
| In his fourth reason, Mr.. Scott says
that he never refused to investigate any
| complaints or violations of the game
| laws.
| In the fifth, he says that several cases
have been brought to him by people and
| in every instance he found lacking the
| evidence for successful prosecution.
| In the sixth reason, Mr.. Scott quotes
| resolutions adopted by the executive
committee of the Montana Fish and
| Game Protective association at its last
regular meeting last May expressing
| it's appreciation for the good work he
| was doing.
In regard to the non-appointment of
deputy In district No. s, Mr. Scott
calls attention to section 8 of house bill
147, which says that when there is va
cancy in the office of deputy warden,
the state game warden is authorized to
fill the place If 1t is to the best interest
Of the state to do so.
| If deer, elk or antelope We're killed for
wolf bait In that district, as alleged in
the resolution, no notification OF the fact
was ever received in his Office and 1t
was the duty of persons having knowI-
edge of the act to make a complaint
AS to the work done In district No. 4,
Mr.. Scott says 1t shows proportionate
number Of arrests and convictions equal
to other districts.
Charges Are Indefinite.
AS to the charge made against the
deputy in Flathead county, no report
had ever reached his office. He had
called the attention of the deputies who
have been in this district to the charges
in the resolutions and they assured him
that they were not only absolutely false,
but that they court the most rigid in
vestigation.
- SohNiuoipii, tiiC diNi5loIl VI the
tana Fish and Game Protective associa-
tion," says Mr.. Scott, (which, through
usurpation, has been masquerading over
the name of the secretary of the state
organization, l desire to say that the
| exceedingly general and indefinite char
acter or the charges makes 1t difficult to
reply to them.
Being public official, recognize that
am at all times subject to just criticism
and honest investigation relative to the
conduct of my office. The resolutions
are simply allegations without any
foundation or fact.
THE animus Of the resolutions Is so
plain. hOWeYer that I ranard than, or,