The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-29
The Virginia Game Laws.


The Virginia Game Laws.
Editor of The Times-Dispatch:
sir,.-As usual, the LEGISLATURE, is to
Wrcstlo with the game laws during this
session, and when they come TO compare
tlews az 20 wat IL best, there VIII be
found ms usuaD variety Of opinions +. n :
TO what is best, and no. doubt tns Usual
the men WHO know the least about IT VIII
nave the most to say. That we should
have a. good game law, we VIII all ad-
nit, but n law which will not allow a
Virginia gentleman to invite a friend on
his own farm to shoot, It matters not
where he comes from, Is not right ana
It should be repealed at once. Stop the
shipment of game for the market, as
Senator Sndler suggests. and pay for the
scalps OF foxes, iirinks and hawks by
law Then let every .boy in The country n,
crows. as they destroy the eggs Of the
partridges as well as the Wild turgey; ana
VIII also eat young chickens around the
farm yard. The fox hunter may want to
exclude tho fox. and will suggest that 1t
will encourage trapping and the. shooting
Of foxes. To this will say that the few
that would be killed that way VIII never
be missed by the fox hunters, and the
man who starts out to make q living az
the business will starve to death. But all
the counties, and not one here and there
with the Rrumbling about one county
having TO pay for scalps coming in from
tho adjoining COUNTY which pays no pre-
MUM .,nn - uo..,.. ,,.o~v
mans property. and no man has a right
to no. on anothcr's lard without the
owners perin,ss!on, but when he, as the
' se 90 a whe nysfs e ssp eos
party TO the field or not, that should BIO
protection enough. was perfectly dis.
trusted a sshnrt time ego when I read OF
Tho humiliation to which some gentlemen
IN Powhstan county were subjected when
v!eiting friends from West Virginia. who
had. the permission OF the owners Of the
warden. thus hun.iiatins the visitors and
the owners Of the property on which they
hunted. r don't blame Mr.. Hurt in the
lenst. for he did his duty, but have got
would make such u law and require him r.,
this matter, for have had my day. and
my hunting Is ever Gsd nows that the the
pnvnr.x. s!ncn tho war. and oftan,lmes
when they wanted to show that Virginia
hosnitnl!ty. was not dead, they had TO
'set EN- up' as they would like 10 10.
Now that the dawn OF a better dog. has
come. and they want to invite their
the t,reside at night and talk about what
used to he. and what is to be, II our dear
ola Gommonwealth IN alk ,o' an oii Ger
una arrests MS FRIENDS LOT Nio!aeaB the
lazy: and fines them heavily. II the host
paid It his friends would feel badly, and
y his friends paid, the host would feel
worse
OF the. mon who own land in this country
are old Confederate soldiers. or their I'M
mediate descendants. and thu. the apiri:
q ehiyn!rN .s not deed In them When
mighty dollars becomes 20 great that
everything elee must be suhord!nated. the
times and the ,reople will be on a par,
na f b, ad hns g Too DO e e9T v ssmf
suppose that when the time comes to vote
on any game bill there will be Gas usuaD
the same old fight and when the. storm
conflicting enectments that Philadelphia
lawyer couldn't tell what the game laws
are. If you can't run deer. with dogs. !
suppose the huntsmen will have to go
out after supper and climb s!mmon tree
in the pea patch aild wait TIL abau. the
crack o. day next morning before he can
get shot, The deer may go for my part
me. AS niger would say. They ain
bin dom it heretofore" and have been
waiting fifty years for one to come close
enough to me 20 get shot. It was but
ough sportsman. and gentleman. who
lives In the country, asking that I would
use my influence on the Legislature to
get good a game laws ,.a and not fool laws,
are getting mighty down on you city fell
lows OF the game association, and they
say TINT they are Sick and tired OF your
and II you fellows don't mind they won't
let one of you city fellows como OF their
farms to hunt"
As said before have had my day,
will ever again have the opportunity Of
entertaining me MS his guest while in
search Of game. but I want "a repeat
the president Of the Virginia Field Sports is
Association. that there never has been
on the statute one single law with re-
gard to the protection OF game or penal
ing out of season, or for shooting by non
residents, or for non-sh!pnent of game,
or anything connected with it whatever
that the game asso 81 Il had anything
body the consesus of opinion OF thou
sand men who are sportsmen. and who
live in the country as we'll as. In town,
before the Legislature for twenty-five
years, and not one single suggestion, That
we ever made was adopted. Therefore.
my country friends. don't blame us for
Isted. Our country members got up the
bills which we offered and we the Getty
fellows" as matter Of convenience. be-
Ing on, the ground tried to put them
every session OF the Assembly for years.
our efforts failed entirely. We have turn
ed it over to our country friends long
ago. and IL there is anything wrong hold
them, and not us city fellows. RESPONSE
bic. AS all OF us who are sportsmen are
country boys, we think we know what
ourht to be done, but wishing tho good
ing our hands off, Any law that Will suit
the men who own the lands will satisfy
us. POLK MILLER
Richmond. Va.
Financial Condition Of Richmond,
Va.