New-York tribune., 1908-01-22
INEFFECTIVE GAME LAWS.

Some sensible and valuable suggestions as to
the reform of American game laws were con-
tanned in an article by Mr.. Dwight Huntington
which appeared in last Sundays issue or Inc
Tribune. American game laws are as voiuihl-
nous as they are Ineffective In multIarlous-
ness they outdo all other forms OF iegsiatloh'
and they change so frequently as to put any
nossible codification out of date year or TWO
after it is issued. The chief cause Of this fux
and confusion in legislation for the protection
Of game birds as Mr.. Huntington contends, Is
tha mistaken assumption Of our legal system
that the title to all live game vests exclusively
in the state and that it Is the duty of the state
to preserve wild birds by making II as olmculI
as possible to kill and sell them at proht'
PubIic sentiment has been trained to regard as
the chief enemy Of game BIRDS the market
b7ntar while as matter Of fact the market
hunter is the one man most vitality interested IN
preventing the determination OF game ana most
disposed to protect 1t against the attacks OF lts
natural foes-hawks crows, foxes, cats' rep
tiles and other vermin.
Our game laws aim chiefly at llmltlng Kill
ing for the market and encouraging killing Tor
snort Rut no proper measures are taken to
protect and replenish the supply of game biros,
and the game officers busy themselves In war
ring against Illegal shooting by sportsmen In
stead of neutralizng the far more destructive
work of the year in and year out W1ld nuhters
of the forest. The balance or nature is upset
and the game species have no fair chance 10
nerpetuate themselves, for while the state al
lows a good deal of shooting and falls TO pre-
vent much more done in defiance of law, 1t With
holds entirely the counterbalance of an ef1c1ent
system of game keeping. AS consequence the
game birds are rapidly dying out even In the
snarseIv settled states and an important source
of food supply is being shut off without any ad-
vantages to bird life accruing by way Of COM
pensatiOn.
Mr. Huntington recommends that the state
trv the more logical and practical policy OF en-
corraging farmers and game clubs to protect
game. giving them an incentive to guard 1t
against vermin by allowing them open access
tn the markets This would be a step toward
the domestication Of birds like the quail and
the pheasant, which in European preserves do
in fact become almost as tame as our domestic
nigeons and turkeys. The real object of state
protection would be accomplished if valuable
game birds were enabled to propagate freely
and in addition the public would be benehted by
the delivery in the market of a most desirable
food supply at moderate prices Inc Lohooner
can buy quantities of game at moderate cost
because the individuals or associations malh
taining great preserves offer most Of the game
killed on them to the general consumer. IL
would appear to be more SenslDle 10 10 away
with our many fantastic restrictions on the
killing and sale Of birds and to substitute there
for laws encouraging persons willing TO pre-
serve game and to kill 1t for profit to pro
feet the species most worth cultiyatng against
an improbable depletion.