The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-21
Fish and Game Laws.

To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal:
l read an article in a late issue Of the
Journal in which it was stated that w. L.
Taylor has started legislative "tinkering"
with the fish and game laws. The latter
part OF the article was to the point, and,
am sorry to say, quite true. Following is
part of it:
Whenever this subject is once taken
up Ii is always found extremely difficult to
let 1T go again. Every member OF the Leg
lslature is more or less of sportsman Tor
thinks he isl. and has his own ideas con-
corning the proper kind of fish and game
laws. which he proceeds to embody In bill
and inf1ict it on his colleagues"
Right here L want to say to w. L. Taylor.
Coats, Lapp and others: Let the fish and
game laws alone; they are plenty good
enough. They don't need any changes. If
you gentlemen want to do something that
will be a positive benefit and thereby re-
fleet credit on your legislative work, be-
sides gaining the heartfelt gratitude Of
every true angler in the State, work for
and pass law that will do things"-a
law that will positively stop the pollution
of the streams of the State. mo fishing
with hook and line in May June" say
Messrs. Taylor and others. The nasty and
vile refuse discharged into our streams
from the strawboard mills and the oil wells
destroy more fish in one hour than all the
hook and line anglers could take In twenty
years. 1t is a fact. a shame and a disgrace
that Indiana stands to-day near If not
quite at the bottom of the list among the
States In the protection Of her streams and
looking after the fishery interests. What
benefit does Indiana receive from the enor-
nous sum of money expended annually by
the United States Fish Commission? About
30 cents, comparatively. Yet we continue to
pay our proportion of taxes to support this
great expense. and the more progressive
States receive the benefit. The report of
the United States commissioner of fish and
fisheries for the fiscal year ending June 80,
1894. shows appropriations of more than
$685.. 900, or, to be exact, 1852 301 81. Rather
a tidy sum that and very good evidence for
the unthinking ones az to what the fishery
industry amounts to. What benefit did In
diana receive from that large outlay of the
peoples money? Practically nothing. Why?
Because ii would be time and money worse
than wasted. as Indiana has shown no dis
instead allows them TO remain cesspools of
filth and nastiness in which game or de-
cent fish cannot exist
Instead of wasting valuable time in the
Legislature (and time is valuable there-at
lest the taxpayers find II sol in quibbling
over changes in laws that are good enough
they stand, enact clear-cut law with no
loopholes that viii! effectively stop the pol
luton of our streams, and in time we will
have something to fish for. Vote decent
and liberal appropriation for our energetic
commissioner of fish and game, and my
word for Ii you will find him doing
the miserly appropriations for his depart
ment, II is a matter of surprise to myself
and others that he has not long since re-
signed from the ill-paid thankless office.
DIR. j. c. ADKINS.
Marion, Ind, Jan. 10.