Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1906-07-05
KALBPUS SCORES
UNFAIR GAME LAWS

HARRISBURG, July 5-The State
game commission held its semi annual
meeting at its new Office in the new
capitol today, for the purpose of hear
ing the semi-annual report of Secre-
tar1 Kalbfus and the transaction 'of
routine business. There were present
President James II. Worden, Harris
burg: secretary, Joseph Kalbfus, Har-
risburg J. NJ. Phillips, Pittsburg; c..
X Sober, Lcwisburg; William Hey
ward Meyers, Williamsport;. ;.EDr.
Charles b. Peurose, Philadelphia, and
former State Treasurer Frank c.
Harris. of Clearfeld.
\ most encouraging condition of
affairs regarding the increase of game
in the State was presented by SeCrc-
tary Kalbfus, which is mainly due to
the enforcement of the laws and the
great interest the public is taking in
game protection. The absence of forest
fires has also tended to increase game,
and DR. Kalbfus commends the vigil
ance of the authorities in this direc-
tion.
Attention j. called to the fact that
the game laws in some respects are un-
fair, and their repeal is recommended.
For instance a gunner in this State
can only kill certain number of
migratory fowl, but in adjoining
States to which they fly when leaving
Pennsylvania the gunners can kill as
many "a they please. There is also
law in this State providing a fine of
$50 for digging a rabbit out of its war
rem. while the fine for shooting a rab-
bit is but $40, and DR.. Kalbfus wants
to know wherein lies the difference.
Again, the law imposes a fine of $50
for destroying a birds nest on a tree,
and yet the owner of a home, if he
finds robins or other birds destroying
his fruit or damaging his property can
kill them indiscriminately, and there
is no fine at all.
Secretary Kalbfus strongly recon-
mends that a law be passed making it
a penal offence for any unnaturaIized
foreign born resident TO own a gun or
any other kind Of firearms. In the last
six months five officers of the game
commission, in hunting offenders
against the game laws, have been shot
at and wounded by foreigners, and one
man was brutally murdered by Italians
in the western part of the State, and
his. body thrown into the river simply
because he performed his duty and
prosecuted foreign violators of the
game laws
The game wardens, by the way. are
all doing good work, and have pros
ecuted many offenders, the fines from
which 20 10 the department.
The department brought from Ala,
bama for propagating purposes, 3, 547
quail. and they are all said to be doing
finely. A number died on the way
here, but in bringing quail here next
year DR.. Kalbfus will have them ship
ped in a patent box which will admit
Of them getting light, air, food and
water. Three sites foI game preserves
have been selected, one in Clinton
county, a second in Clearfield and
third in Franklin, all on forestry land
owned by the State The foreign quail
have all been distributed throughout
the State, and are reported to be ex-
ceptionally hardy. A brood of about
twenty sickly ones, the poorest lot of
the imported birds, were placed on an
island in the Juniata river in Perry
county, and every one of them is liv-
ing and hardy, and the brood has in
creased to twice the original size
1t was impossible to get deer or wild
turkeys for propagating purposes, but
the commission is on the watch and
ready to purchase when opportunity
offers. There are plenty of deer in
captivity, but the owners will not
sell. There are no wild turkeys pur-
chaseable anywhere.
DIR. Kalbfus recommends that a law
be- passed requiring all resident hunt
eTs 70 take out a license, as is done in
other states. and in this way make the
department self-sustaining. Atypres-
ent only uunaturalized foreigners are
required to to take out hunting Ii
Cense.
During the half year there were col
lected about 81 800 in fines. Of which
$500 went TO informers
DR.. Kalbfus says that he has informa-
tion to the effect that at certain
point IN this State a flock of about POO
wild pigeons have been nesting for the
past two years The wild pigeon dis
appeared from this continent over
twenty years ago, and DR. Kalbfus is
of the opinion that they may be com
ing back. If so, stringent laws will
be passed for their protection.
T.-I