The Penn's Grove record., 1903-10-23
The PENIS Grove Record
FRIDAY, OCTOBER %, 1908.
A PoLITICAL BOOMERANG.


Law To Prohibit Fishing Except With
Hook and Line First Passed in 1901.
The Republican platform adopted at
the County convention especially ar
raigns Senator James Strimple for per-
hitting the general revision of the game
and fish laws to be reported from the
committee of which he is a member with
out protest. Senator Strimple informs
the RECORD that he was completely ignor-
ed by the Republican members; the COM
mittee never met to consider the bill
with him present; the act was drawn by
the Game and Fish Commissioners; in
PRODUCED neal the close of the season and
rushed through without consideration.
In fact the law which prohibits fishing
in the fresh waters of the state except
WITH hook and line was passed in 1901,
chapter l2O, section l6, of which reads as
follows:
ssIt shall be unlawful to take or at
tempt to take any fish from any of the
waters of this state by means of any con-
trivance whatsoever excepting in the
ann commonly known as angling
with hand-line or with rod and line, I'M
der a penalty of twenty dollars for each
offence; provided, however, that this
provision shall not apply to the catching
of cells, at any time, by means Of wicker
eel-baskets anchored on the bottom OF
streams and ponds, nor to the taking OF
cells by means of eel-weirs from the ff-
teenth day of September to the last day
of October, both dates inclusive; prOvid-
ed, also, that it shall be lawful to take
minnows and other bait-fsh with a seine
not over fifty feet in length in all ponds
and lakes which have an area of over n
hundred acres and in all other waters
with a seine not over thirty feet in
length; in every such case, however, all
trout, pickerel, bass, pike and p~ike-perch
captured therein shall be Immediately
released therefrom uninjured as far as
practicable; provided, further, that it
shall be lawful to take fish in any man.
mel under the direction of or by permits
sion given by the board of fish and game
commissioners for stocking purposes only.
1t shall be unlawful at all times to use
the young of any species of carp or tench
for bait in any of the waters of this state,
or to take to any ofsuch waters the young
OF any species of carp or tench for the
purpose of using the same for bait or for
any other purpose, under a penalty OF
twenty dollars for every such fish SO used
for bait or taken to such waters"
Section q reads as follows: sThe term
"waters of this state for the purposes OF
khso Nj cho1l H. aoooA1 - oil
the fresh waters OF this state"
The above are nearly word for word
like the law of 1908, which was a general
revision. When a general revision is
reported as having been made by experts
it is not considered SO closely as a new
law.
Who was in the Legislature in 1901?
Richard G. Miller, Senator, and Henry
j. Blohm, Assemblyman.
This bill was called to the special at
tention of Mr.. Blohm because in section
4, he had the permission to shoot flick
ers inserted.
But we are charitable to believe that
neither Senator Miller nor Assemblyman
Blohm knew the real import of sections
l6, IL and q, or they would not have
voted for it. Nor did the Commissioners
know what prohibition it but on fishing
as an industry until last summer.
The blame for this bill must be laid to
the modern legislative methods of allow
ing a few persons dictate what laws are
wanted and then rushing them through
at the end of the session by force of eau
Gus without full consideration.
The representatives of both parties
from Salem county, undoubtedly did the
best to their knowledge for the interest
of their constituents and the attempt to
put the blame on Messrs. Strimple and
Harris, who are in a weak minority and
were completely ignored must fall. The
majority must bear the blame of bad leg
islation, especially when the same law
has been enacted twice and that majority
by caucus rule refused to repeal it last
week.