The Republican journal., 1904-02-25

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BARON JCTAEO iACMCTA
OF Harvard. lawyer and an experienc.
ed diplomat. \ few YEATS ago he was
Japa'itSe minister to the United States
MAINE FISH AND GAME.
! Their Value to the State. Growth of the
Fish and Game Industry.
In view of the widespread agitation
by the Maine farmers in regard to GER
tain provisions of the fish and game
laws, particularly in view of the claim
that the nonresident hunters license
| is tending to make of the State big
game preserve for some Of the wealthy
sportsmen of the big cities at the ex-
pense of the agricultural interests,
! Hon. Leroy T. Carleton, chairman of
| the commission, has started cam
paign among the Patrons of Husbandry,
and one of the opening guns was fired
at a meeting of the grange in South
China Feb. 10th. He said in part:
Gin 1875 but four lakes in Maine had
any land-locked salmon, Sebago, Sebec,
Green and Grand lakes. To-day there
are more than 1000 lakes and ponds
that have them and with better fishing
than there was in those four lakes at
that time. We had no summer visitors,
fishermen or hunters, and our young
men were leaving us at the rate of 5000
year, so Gov. Chamberlain said in
| 1867.
Last year and the year before more
than 10000 deer were killed each year
and farmers and farmers sons in our
agricultural towns where hunters from
outside the State never go, killed 2S61
deer, according to the returns of the
! town clerks on file in our office
''1n 1902 this fish and game industry
had grown to very large proportions.
A census showed that 1873, $50 people
came into the State on a vacation. Now
suppose each one of these visitors spend
on an average 800. Then $4,000, 900
were left in this State in the year 1902
More than 1852 came into one county
of which L have personal knowledge
and paid out for board S2OS, S52. In
the whole State 1401 male and 1854
female help were employed at good
wages in consequence of these visitors
and were paid $267, 1884.
''The important question is not how
| to decrease our fish, game and birds,
but how to keep up the supply.
''There are those who insist that the
fish and game laws are positive injury
to the agricultural interests. Nothing
could be farther from the truth There
is in the State of Maine about 10000
square miles of land and water, in
farms about 5000, leaving in the wilder
ness state, and water, $1,000 square
miles. But small percentage Of the
wild lands can ever become farms.
This is common knowledge. There is,
therefore, ample room for game with
out in any way encroaching upon the
farming industry Game interests
have no controversy with the farm in
/ tereSts.
l do not believe that any wild ami
mails ever did any appreciate damage
to farms. There is not in all our bord-
ers dangerous animal, ravenous rep
tile or poisonous insect. The law pro-
tects deer 1-2 months each year, and
| now the claim is made that these ami
! mails are endangering the crops.
''The farmer does not pay one farth-
ing for bird or game protection, not
even those who hunt of our own citi-
zens pay anything, and in addition
those who hunt game from outside the
State pay for all the protection the
game gets, and in addition to this pay
all the damage deer may do to growing
! crops. The farmer has undoubted
right to kill at any time any wild ami
NAL doing damage to his crops or do
nestle animals. What more does he
wantS Does he want in addition the
right to kill and use any wild animal
found at any time on his premises?
Is this their claim? ask them to
to make it plain that we may know
just what they do want.
We used to hear much about aban-
doned farms. l challenge anyone to
point out single farm in all Maine
abandoned because of the prevalence of
game or birds, while l can point to hun
dreds, it not thousands, that have been
abandoned for other causes, and have
been bought by Presidents and large
amounts OF money expended upon them
because of the prevalence of fish and
game. Has any person been driven
from Maine or account of their fear of
a moose, Il deer or a robin? There are
thousands and thousands who stay in
the State of Maine, adding to our
wealth and population, because of the
presence of game.
"By reason of the game interests of
Maine 1000 registered guides are sup
ported, 500 of whom are farmers, and
they earned guiding last year $500, 600.
The value Of the crops in Maine is
something like s22,oOO,0oo and the pro.
ducts derived from animals, poultry
and bees is $15, 100000. Compare these
figures, my friends, with the figures
which represent the amount of money
left in the State in 1902 by our visitors,
and tell me if you can afford to strike a
fatal blow to the business or shut the
door in the face of these visitors. With.
out any fish and game many farms and
thriving villages will have to be aban
doned, millions of dollars of summer
resort property would go to waste
many town would lose it's principa
source of support, railroad schedules
would be revolutionized and steamship
/