The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-26
City News
SAYS GAME LAWS
ARE TOO SEVERE
JUDGE QUINN 5oF FAIRMoNT
TALKS TO WARDENs.
Man Who Once Imposed Fine Of
$4,000 on Game Law violator Says
Law Should Give Court More Discre-
tion-T. S. Palmer of Washington
Talks on the Lacey Act.

President w. B. Scott Of the National
Association OF Game Wardens and COM
mlssioners called the second days ses-
sion OF the convention to order at 1890
am. today, in the senate chamber at
the old capitol in St. Paul. In opening
the convention, the chair took the OPP
por.tunity. to call upon Judge J. Fl.
pened to drop in to the morning meet
ing. He introduced the judge as "a
gentleman recognized thrlout Mime
sofa as a terror to all game law viola
tors; ma man Nv who 2, In one case imposed a
Judge Quinn spoke Of the needs ex-
lstlng for the further preservation Of
game.
HWhat is most IMPORTANT he said,
is a different sentiment in certain To-
calities. Punishment Of violators Of
OF this sentiment. But in Minnesota
this sentiment is disappearing, thanks
to the activity Of the executive agent
OF our game and fish commissions. -
Heron Lake Violations.
Judge Quinn spoke of the violations
| IN years gone by at Heron Lake, Mimi,
when citizens actually shipped out
game in carload lots. "But the one
conviction, which has been spoken of, -
he said, has had a most wholesome
eHect; and, altho there may be some
game law violation still, there is little
of it Left - ~ .-~.
Judge Quinn advised the states to
"get together" ~, All -
"When executive officers cease to
listen to political influence and enforce
the law on one and all alike, then NAV
eHectlve work be- done and not be-
fore,' he said. He called attention to
the need of Justice in game laws,
which are sometimes too stringent, and
illustrated this point by the famous
Heron Lake case. ~
81 !" In this case.'' said Judge Quinn,
Of 1000 birds. The penalty in the law
was $40 fine for each bird or ten days
in jail for each bird. Just think, this
meant the imposing by the court Of i'm
prisonment for 10000 days, over fifty
years. 1 am willing now to admit that
the court was placed nearly at it's wits ,
end what to do. It was my desire to inn
pose a severe sentence, but what would
the public have said if 7. had imposed
a sentence of fifty years. The law
should give the court more discretion. -
-" Discusses Lacey Act. !" i
~. ArdILuois CillG1 > LII Charge OF
game preservation Of the department Of
agric ulture, Washington, D. c., zoccu-
pied the rest Of the morning, speaking
on * ":The Lacey r. lct. =" The, speaker
asserted, that the were now -four laws
for preservation game Fbye John f.
Lacey of sIowas An isr !, = .e.-g
The, prohibiting ofigame shipped in
violationtof local laws was first con-
s1dered. 10 > nf-ttgl 49,, II -ss0.t
He illustrated, by, North Dakota
case ahow the Lacey law was operative
where state laws could not punish evil
r Mr.. Palmer Endorsed the state game
warden system, which now extends
thruout thirty-six states. He Endorsed
establishment Of civil service rules for
wardens in all states and strongly
urged the collection Of game statistics
by all states. ~ "a .:
This afternoon the convention was
given over to addresses Of a less for
NAL character. Warden D. G. Nowlin of
Wyoming discussed state and national
game preserves, strongly indorsing
them. Warden Joseph II. Acklen Of
! Tennessee discussed state license sys-
TENS Major John Pitcher, superinten-
dent Of Yellowstone park, spoke Of the
park as national game preserve.