The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-05-10

a question of supply and demand, and
 when the latter exceeds the former it ] is only matter of time when the for Inner will give out Add to this increas-
 ing demand the natural effect of occa- | stonal unfayorable seasons, when | through cold or wet the birds are 1 killed off, and the time when they will | cease to exist is brought sensibly near | CT. To offset this decrease our present | sportsmen's associations do not make an efficient effort If anything is done in exceptional instances it is spasmodic
 and not sustained. It is useless to eX- peet anything better, because, as we have said, men will not continue to spend their money without reaping a
 return, and the expenditure possible to
 any association will not avail so long as
 the harvest Is open to anyone who
 chooses to thrust in his sickle. Here,
 then, we see at once the necessary
 failure of our presena associations to
 cope with the existing evil or to ward
 off that which is impending even when
 the members faithfully strive to meet
 their obligations. Over and above this
 inability, we have also the unquesaion-
 able fact that the members of such as-
 cociations are too often themselves law
 breakers, thus nullifying at least a por-
 tion of whatever little good Is done. Is
 it, then, too much to say that new de-
 parture is absolutely necessary, and
 that the only departure practically
 must be in the direction of more con-
 solidated interests?
 The effect of such clubs as we advo-
 cate upon sportsmanship generally will
 be this: It will put that sportsman
 ship upon a solid and durable founda-
 tion by confining 1t to those who are
 willing to put their hands into their
 pockets for their own as well as their
 associates pleasure, The idea of clubs
 with exclusive privileges may be at
 first unpopular to those who are ready
 to take up the cry, 'it Is the rich
 against the poor" but on the other hand lies the perfectly fair business principle that a man must make a le- gitimate return for what he enjoys. So long as game was abundant, and there
 was enough for all, it was proper enough to have it open to all but as 1t Is becoming scarce, man must re- member that every bird he kills is in a measure taken away from some other sportsman, who should be willing to do something to replace it, The fact that game is public property does not give any man q moral right to rob that pub lie, and person who Is willing to take all he can get and not do anything to make up the loss others sustain is at least not far removed from a robber in principle.
 Such clubs as we propose can be 1 formed upon liberal principles That is, the membership can be left open to all who desire the privilege, matter which can be ascertained by ballot in | this as in the case of other associations. | The larger the membership the smaller the membership fees and incidental ex penses will be individually, which will | bring associations within the reach of | men of moderate means. Yet the num- Der enrolled will not initiate against | the clubs success, since all that will be | required will be proportional effort in | the line of the clubs duty, With | means and effort a section can be | stocked so as to give hundred men as | good sport as ten would get with pro- portional xpenditure-much better sport in any event than can be had now l in any but exceptional localities, or where associations are organized some | what on the lines proposed here
 In presenting this matter for the con- | sideration of our readers we are firmly ] we are only anticipating | Time himself, for it is undeniable to | any one who gives the matter sensible | thought. that such associations are | bound to come-some being already | formed There are great many | wealthy sportsmen in the country, men who can afford to pay for exclusive and when the time comes that they cannot enjoy these pleasures | without paying for them, they will do 90 as unhesitatingly as they now pay Or fast horses, yachts or opera boxes. Men have right to that which they | ,uy, and those who will pay will not ,llow interference with their posses dons in the line of field sports any nore than those of other kinds. Sports | If the field are open to the public to- lay, but the public is squandering its Is doing little to replace hem and therefore it must not cry | yer the loss or resist the legitimate, | egal acts of those who, with manly ap- ,reciation of the value of sportsman
 hip make it their own exclusive prop ,.f, A |