Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-01-03

| think, a copy of every letter l ever
wrote to members of this committee
and no such language is used. 1 feel
safe in saying 1 never wrote it. But
even if l had been wanting in courtesy
i'll this respect, is that any argument
against our game laws? / fail to see
any Justification in it for an attack Oh
these laws.
I;ut as l have said, did not use s'ich
an expression. MIR. Gardeners name
does not appear i'll the letter at all. so
1 trust our game laws will not be made
TO suffer because OF this alleged dis
courtesy to Mr.. Gardner on my part.
! regret to notice that he seems to
speak in a sneerirg manner OF the law
providing for the compensation Of farm
crs for damage done to growing crops
by deer. He says:
NO doubt there is, but I have not
yet found ! single instance where Il
farmer has been damaged by reason of
Wild animals, where the damage has
been settled in a satisfactory manner
Nov as to this | wish to say that the
commissioners have nothing whatever
to do with settling any damage done by
! wild animals except deer. Damage by
! bears is settled by tho municipal Off
GERS of the town where the damage is
done. The law compromising farmers
for damage done growing crops by deer
was passed upon my recommendation
and urgent advocacy and we had no
aid from Mr.. Gardner or anyone else
who has been so free in their criticism
of the manner of its enforcement.
This law has been in operation three
m
filed or on an average Of 30 a year. We
have. / think, investigated each ore,
and whenever actual damage has been
found we have tried to do the fair
thing to the farmer and to the State
We have paid out over $10O0-or 1888 per
year an average.
1t is not strange. perhaps, that Mr.
Gardner should not have heard OF any
one who was fully satisfied. for 4 man
| fully satisfied does not go around max
ing q noise like one looking for trouble
and Il chance to air himself in the
1 newspapers.
A case in point Mr.. Gardner has I'M
Goubtedly heard of. for he has aired his
so-Callcd grievances very extensively.
This man in question complained that
a doe deer in the fall of the year. after
the ground was frozen. injured his
strawberry bed $3.50 worth. He was i'll
formed from the office that the damage
could not we'll be estimated until the
following year
The next year | received a letter from
. him stating that he would not be salts
/ fici with my apprisal-or that o: any
on" l delegated to appraisc it.
! Il thereupon took the papers to the
Governor and asked him TO delegate a
member of his Council to go ana APP
praise the damage. This was done and
n written report was filed in our Office
by this member Of the Council showing
that this man had suffered no substan-
p tial damage whatever.
This farmer thcrcupon rushcs to the
newspapers. abuses me, and. in per
so:l1l letter to me, abuses this member
of the Council who was delegated to at
tend to this business.
/ There are some people SO unrcaSon-
bic that it is impossible to satisfy
them.
7 As tending further TO confirm my i'm
preston that Mr.. Gardner is not entire
~ fair in his criticism of the game laws.
| quote further from his address as fol-
lows:
He Uhc farmcr) has protection
against the litter domestic animals).
but by the sop thrown out by the last
legislature he has a right to shoot
deer that are found actually destroying
his crops and if he should see them
J i'll his adjoining woodland he would not
be allowed to kill them but must sit
on Il fence corner until he found them
at work destroying his crops He could
then shoot them if he could furnish sat-
| istaCtory proof that they were so en-
| gagged when killed
| This law, or as Mr.. Gardner calls it.
this sop" was all the change in the
| game laws the farmers asked for at the
| last session of the legislature Three
| as good farmers as there are in the
State. as influential. as representative
| and as successful, proposed this law
and it is as they wanted it.
Call it sop if You will. 1t is all
the farmers asked for or suggested and
| with much trouble with some farmers.
| who We're on the committee that the
| bill was referred to. who were opposed |
| to it as opening too wide a door for |
| slaughter. it was finally passed.
As it is. some make this law IN ey-
cuse 10 shoot all the deer they can. One
| farmer reports To the Office that he shot
So deer he found doing damage to his