The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-02-24
INTEREST IN GAME LAWS
PROPOSED AT JEFFERSON CITY.
udubon Measure Should Come Up for
Confederation To-day md L.
Attracting Attention.

Considerable interest Is felt in sporting
circles over the question Of game laws, one
of the new measures suggested in the way
OF legislation being scheduled to come up
before the Missouri Legislature to-day. The
bill In question is advocated by the AUDI
bon Society of this State, and it's provisions
have aroused considerable interest.
The bill requires the issuance of n license
TO all sp~ortsmen, the object being the pre-
vention OF hunting and game s.aughtering
by irresponsible persons. 1t puts a limit OF
twenty-five birds per day on any one per-
son; limits the number of deer which may
be killed to two In any one season for an
individual, protects song and insectivorous
birds permanently and protects phessants.
woodcock and prairie chicken for five years.
An amendment to protect quail Is also Of
fered.
p. N. Kelley, a ~well-known commission
some provisions {. the bill and has written
at length his views upon the subject. Speak
ing from the standpoint of the commission
men, he asserts that no class has more in
terest in protecting game than the mer-
chants who handle 1t. He also states that
many of the bills suggested from time tc
time are prompted by gun clubs and their
members. who ave only their W inter
ests and pleasure in view.
He says that a farmers boy, by the pro-
visions OF the suggested law. would be pre-
vented from disposing of his birds other
than by eating or destroying them. He
states that the old law, which prevents the
@'o ~ 6cSAAO LAWN kHC IA lBIe III
was shot, resulted in a scarcity OF game on
the local market last year and that one
days receipts from outside States amounted
to more than the entire receipts of game
from Missouri last season.
he suggests as a remedy that the laws 70
further than the Audubon bill and pro-
hibit the killing Of all kinds of game in
this State for a period of two to five years.
He questions the wisdom of restricting the
supply of game Just before the Worlds
Fair. when a demand for it will be mani
tested.
August Reese, secretary Of the Audubon
Society OF Missouri, takes an entirely diff
ferent view of the case from that exploit
ed by MIR. Kelley and writes concerning
the commission men as follows:
THAT the market hunters and their allies.
the irresponsible game dealers and cold
storage plants, are the greatest factors In
the destruction OF game is substantiated
In various pamphlets issued by the United
States Department of Agriculture. In New
YORK City last June a seizure of sc. 900 game
birds and 1900 song birds was made. In
load Of quail in Indian Territory. In Phil
edelphta, New York, Cincinnati, St. Louis.
in fact, wherever cold-storage plants exist.
there can be found large numbers of game
and birds. killed Illegally or held in pos
session contrary to law"
AS a result Of debate over the bill, inter-
est Is felt in the question in all quarters
that a law Is necessary to protect the game
Of this State more fully, but there is some
difference of opinion as to what steps should
be taken. The result of the Legislature's
action will be awaited in all parts of the
State.