Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-12-24

Mann, @WesU Paris; ID. j. Nc
Gillicuddy, Lewiston.
Chairman Carleton wonders where
the idea came from that the game laws
tend to retard the growth of popula-
ton in Maine. In an interview on this
subject he says. If this claim is true,
then are all the states and all the
countries that have any game retardinS
the growth of population, for they all
have more stringent laws for the pro-
lection of game than has the State of
Maine.
THE State of Maine has the most
liberal fish and game laws Of any state
in the American union that nature ever
supplied with game. If this charge is
true, then the United States govern
ment is retarding the growth of popula-
ton in its territories, for Congress has
passed laws for the protection of birds
and game in it's territories and to pro-
hibit their illegal transportation from
state to state by the: famous and far
reaching Lacey. Bill. so called. More
over, the United States commissioner of
agriculture must be grievously in error
for he states in Farmers Bulletin, No.
160, Game protection should appeal to
many persons besides sportsmen and
those who derive a pecuniary interest
from the sale of game for market. To
the farmer, especially, the preservation
of game on his land is a matter of more
consequence than is generally supposed,
even though he cares nothing for hunt
ing. According to the decis-
ions of the highest courts, game is the
property of the State. 1t should, there
fore. like other public property. be
carefully administered for the public
good; for under proper management it
may become one of the chief attrac-
tions of the State, and may even be I
developed into a source of revenue
Reference to the last census shows
that Aroostook county, q distinctively
agricultural county that has more game
than any other three counties in the
state combined, made the greatest gain
in population of any county in the
state, to wit, 11,155 during the last
decade, while Cumberland county, with !
but very little game, gained but 9740. |
The State of Maine has received |
more advertising in the last 10 Or L.
years, and become better known, |
through it's fish and game than in any |
other way. Large numbers of people |
from other states-in 1902 there We're |
l33, 600 of them, in 1908 there were more !
still-came here to spend their vaca-
tons drawn hitncr largely by the fame |
of our moose the greatest game animal |
in North America our deer and game |
birds. and our uneXcelled climate and |
scenery in spring. summer and autumn: |
our resources. our water power, our |
lumber, in fact all of our abundant |
resources are thereby made known to |
them and millions of dollars have |
within the last decade been invested |
here by non-residents who first become
acquainted with us by coming here to
fish or to hunt
More than 1000 abandoned farms /,
have been purchased by them and
re5uvenated. on the borders of our
lakes or in regions accessible to game;
millions of dollars are invested in cot
tagcs, steamboats, and summer homes,
and at least fifteen millions of dollars
are left by them annually among our
people.
'"rhs may not be as it is stated IAN
industry but it is worth keeping if we
can without injury to our industries.
Five hundred farmers are guides, 1860
other young and middle aged men,
1000 in all, are registered guides, $50
sporting camp proprietors, 100 trappers
of fur bearing animals, so taxidermists,
are in consequence engaged in lucra-
tive employment. All this tends to
keep our people at home, from leaving
us and building up other states. as
we did so extensively in the days be-
fore we had any game laws, and our
game that nature originally so album
dainty supplied us with had become
nearly extinct.
1T has been heretofore urged that
the farmers were unjustly taxed to
protect wild game. Now that the nom
resident hunters license law provides
for its protection, and no farmer, and
no citizen of Maine pays farthing to
protect game, the mode of attack is
changed, and the claim is made that the
prevalence of deer retards civilization
and increase of farms and population.
1t is utterly absurd
The committed for the examination of
the State treasurers accounts now
named by Governor Hill, contains as