Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-11-14
III. Nan .Resident Hunting Tax.

Snortsmen from Massachusetts, VINO
are in the habit of hunting every year
in Maine have been the louoesl III 'heii
c,nuIaiuts against the law eXaclihs
x15 license fee from every hoh-fesi-
d.,,. vhil- the native simply contflD-
,,.s his infinitesimal tax TO support
,b.. ..,ne wsirdenS. The SportSmei
,o,,r,s have condemned the statute as
unconstitutional. However, our hunt
orc fare better in Maine under present
conditions than they do in many Other
states. In Missouri and ARKANSAS
non-residents are not allowed 10 huht
az all and already the Missouri SUI
IRENE court has declared that TINS law
does not discriminate between classes
10 The. extent that it is unconstitutional.
Further, there are pretty stiff reSuia-
tions regarding the operations OF
sportsmen near the New England me.
No hunter from Massachusetts or from
any outside state can export game
from New York. this provision apply
ing with equal force i'll Pennsylvania
North Dakota. Michigan. Kentucky,
and Utah. West Virginia prohibits
the expectation of deer. quail. and
phcasants. Colorado imposes tax,
almost equal to Names hunting tax.
upon the man who ships outside the
State what game. big or little. he Kills
in the State. These few examples show
that thrifty Maine is not alone in put
ting her attractive game to profit ut
th,. cost Of the non -resident.-Boston
Advertiser.
1t may be as the Advertiser asserts
that Massachusetts sportsmen have
been louder than others in their COM
plants against Names nonresident
| hunting tax. but since the law Went
into operation and has had a fair trial
not even the complaints of the Massa-
chusetts sportsmen have been loud
| enough to be heard. If there is any
great dissatisfaction with our presen,
| law among those who come from out
side our borders in search of big game.
that dissatisfaction has been very COM
in the interviews which the newspaper
Men have had with visiting sportsmen.
nor in communications received from
those visitors at the office of the fish
and game commissioners. On the
| contrary. since the new law went into
effect and its provisions We're under
stood its advantages have been most
generally recognized by visiting sports
men. and almost unanimously have
| 81, u IL, I,
tie enough for the privilege Of hunting
in our woods and taking home big
game.
The Advertiser is wrong in asSum-
ing that a resident of Maine pays even
an ''infinitesimal tax to support the
game wardens. AS a matter of fact
our own people are not taxed a single
cent for this object. and the money for
the employment of the wardens comes
wholly from the nonresident license
fee. 1t is not unlikely that a bill will
be introduced in the next Legislature
imposing a hunting tax upon residents
of the State: though. in such case the
tax would surely be made VERY small,
one, probably SI.OO. and farmers hunt
ing upon their own lands would be
made exempt from such tax. 1t Is
pointed out by those interested that
such law might decrease the number
Of resident hunters somewhat. and 60
help make the number of hunting acct
dents smaller
The Advertiser is right in saving
that Massachusetts hunters. and all
others for that matter. fare better II,
Maine than they do in other states o,
the Union where big game is tn h.
found. Practically every such State
has a nonresident hunting tax. and in
many of them the sum REQUIRED for Ii
censes is larger than in Maine and i,
many instances also there are restric.
tons regarding the exportatiop n,
y game. Vermont which has a few dee,
$ left. has just adopted a non-residen
hunting tax. the law being closet,
pased upon that in this State.