Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-01-07

l.
l believe the concensus of opinion is
lthat a hunters tax, moderate in
amount, but sufficient to provide
sufficient warden service to thoroughly
patrol our great forests, summer and
winter, be placed upon nonresident
hunters. No principal of right is vio-
lated by such a course There may be
Il time come when this game should be
preserved for our own people GER
tainly it Will come soon unless pro-
vision is made for it's protection.
would that the resident hunters We're
willing to pay q small tax to insure
money sufficient to amply care for our
game. l think they might we'll afford
TO do so, for the benefit they will de-
rive will be of great value.
Upon our statue books are the laws
The State has made since the game be-
came practically extinct some forty
years ago. If the policy of the State
can be determined by its course for so
long time, it has been to preserve our
fish and game and increase it from
year to year. A department to take
charge of this valuable property of the
State was Instituted and large sums of
money appropriated for it's protection
and propagation. While our inland
fishing preserves, by far the most
valuable to our people because of their
indirect benefits are distributed all
over the State, have been and are,
from the condition of things, cared for
by proper legislation and meet very
well the great drain upon them, the at
tempt through air these years of effort
hoe. a
was never more than to-day farce
This is no fault of the commissioners
of fisheries and game, who have as the
public. know pursued with intense
energy the violators of the law. The
fault lies in the fact that no funds for
adequate warden service has been Civ
en- them by the State. Men of less
energy would have abandoned the
effort before this. The report of the
commissioners shows that there were
1873, SS5 visitors, With returns incomplete
from the seven counties, in our State
the past season. The amount paid for
board and guides alone amounted to
1871 ,001 and a conservative estimate
of the whole amount expended by them
cannot be placed at less than six mil
lion dollars. This great outlay largely
comes from those who are attracted by
our facilities for fishing and the bene-
fits distributed all over the State
make it impera tiveAtllat no less money
and enfort be expended to preserve our
fishing interests.
To-day you have upon the statute
books laws for the protection and care
of game nullfied and set at defiance by
a large class of men. If we can learn
from the observation of the hour we
make no mistake in saying that the
people of Maine are firing of law
nullified by the officials and others.
There has been no qualification of game
| laws by the game officials and the new
era of enforcement of all laws is an
era of good omen to the State. Laws
unenforced are prolific teachers of dis
respect to law and an educator in
crime. The State provides large sums
of money to educate it's youth for
useful men. Respect for law should
be permanently established in the
minds of the rising generation. 1t
would seem bad policy to recognize
violation or evasion of law, a policy
which must work for harm, and harm
only, to those coming into manhood.
Imbued with the spirit Of adventure, sts
boys always are, the woods and the
| hunt enter as never before into the
boys activities and our course in re-
gard to the enforcement of our game
| laws teaches the boy to evade law,
which will prove Il bitter lesson for
him in after life and a hindrance to
useful citizenship.
The association has for one of its
fduties the protection and preservation
of our forests, and notices have an
nually been posted in the wilderness,
calling attention to the need of care in
making and putting out fires. 1t is
allied to the interest of forest preserva-
ton. In the guide law and in the law
compelling campers in forests we
find g, potent factor for safety from
| fires.
Il urge upon everys sportsman and
lover of out-of-door recreation to meet
this question with unselfish fairness
and lend his aid for a rightful solu-
| ton Of this important matter"
| The report OF the treasurer shows re-
sources of the association for the year
amounting to s326.59, and expenditures
of $203.S5. leaving a balance of $12234.
Hon. It. Carleton, chairman of the
fish and game commissioners paid the
following tender and eloquent tribute
to the memory of the late Hon. P. O.
Vickery. for many years president OF
the associations:
"Since our last annual meeting, our
president, Hon. P. o. Vickery of au-
Igusta. has departed this life, and il
Iseems eminently fitting and proper
that we should pause for a time in the
regular routine of our annual meeting
today, to give utterance to our feelings
of great sorrow and regret caused by
his somewhat sudden and un-
expected death, and place on the
records of this. association rec.
ord of our heartfelt sorrow ant
keen sense of our loss, and I would
like. instead of Offering the customary
resolutions on such occasions. to read
e short paper relative to his work il
our organization.
"Mr. Vickery was a charter mem