The Bossier banner., 1908-10-15
More About Our Game Laws.

More About Our Game Laws.
In last weeks issue of the Banner we
published one of the recently enacted
Ventress Bills, the one dealing with
feathered game mentioning the species
classed as game birds, giving the open
and closed seasons, regulating the ship
ment OF same, and the bagging limit;
defining the licenses demanded of both
resident and nonresident hunters, set
ting forth the penalties for violations of
its several sections, etc. It was repub-
lished for the reason that so few of the
residents of our parish are familiar with
the game laws and because there is so
great a demand for copies of this bill.
If you are hunter or are interested in
game protection and propagation, it is
to be hoped that you saved your copy Of
the Banner for reference.
We give below extracts from House
Bill No. 80, also by Mr.. Ventress, which
provides for establishing a "Board
of Commissioners for the Protection of
Birds, Game and Fish,"
The Governor is empowered toappoint
the Commission, which shall be COM
posed OF three members-one from the
western, one from the central, and one
from the eastern part of the State. One
member shall hold Office for two years,
one for three years, and the other for
four years; after which their successors
shall hold Office for four years. vacan-
cies shall be filled by the remaining
members, and must be selected from that
part of the State in which their pre-
decessors resided.
The Board shall reside in New Or
leans, and shall hold yearly sessions on
the last Monday in March, and may also
meet at other times and places.
1t shall be the duty of the Board to
protect the Birds, Game and Fish of the
State, and enforce the protective laws.
The Board shall collect, classify and
preserve such statistics, ETC., as will tend
to promote the objects Of this Act.
The Board shall make its report at the
close of each year, stating the amount
of money expended and for what pur-
poses; also, recommendations for legis-
lative action. The Governor shall sup
ply the Legislature with copies.
The Board shall have power toappoint
one or more Game and Fish Wardens in
each parish, whose duties it will be to
enforce the laws, and each shall give a.
bond of $1,000 as guarantee against
possible damage suits by persons injured
by them. They shall serve and execute
all legal processes, and have the power
to arrest at any time, without warrant,
any person found by them violating the
laws for the protection of Birds, Game
and Fish; and take such person before
a magistrate for trial. Bond forfeitures
in such cases shall be paid to the State
Treasurer and credited to the Board.
The Parish Game and Fish Wardens
shall hold Office during the pleasure of
the Board.
The Board shall also appoint Chief
| Warden, who shall have supervision of
the Parish Wardens, and the work of
the Board throughout the State.
The Board is empowered to fix the sal
aries Of the Chief Warden, Parish War
dens, clerks and other employees, but
none shall receive more than eight hun
dred dollars year, and must give bond,
to be fixed by the Board. All salaries,
travelling and other expenses shall be
paid by the State Treasurer, from spe-
cial fund created from fines, etc., for vio-
lations of this law; from monies appro-
priated by the Legislature; or, by par
ish police juries. Money appropriated
by police jury shall be used exclusively
in that parish, and paid out by the pro-
per parish officials on warrants issued
by the Board Of Commissioners.
The Warden shall have power to ex-
anime any cold storage warehouse, boat,
store, game-bag, etc., when they be-
lieve the laws have been violated, and
they shall take possession of all fish,
birds and game illegally in the posses
sion of violators of the law, and the
same shall be given to the nearest hos
pital, or to the destitute sick.
The Wardens shall see that every hun
ter has proper license, except when
hunting on his own land.
The State Auditor shall during June
Of each year, issue to each parish tax
callector book containing a regular
series Of hunting licenses, which are to
be issued by the tax collector to residents
at one dollar each, and to non-residents
and unnaturalized foreign born residents
at twenty-five dollars each. The tax
collector shall receive five per cent. of
the sales, and return unsold licenses to
the Auditor.
J She Remained Bird.
Mrs. Elizabeth Martin started early in
life to feather her nest well, and has al
ways had her eye on the main chances.
i n