The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1908-01-31
MARYLAND NEEDS LEG Is
LATION FOR THE Pro
lection OF GAME
AND FISH.

some wise laws Tor the pfotecIlon vi
game and fish, and, with regard to
the latter, to conserve one OF Mary
lands most important food sources,
for which the State has long been
famous, says the Baltimore Sun.
Time after time have Legislatures
been asked to pass laws upon these
matters, and many bills have been
introduced only to be so mutilated
"a to have their effect shattered.
That great good can be accom-
plished is easily proved by what has
already been made apparent to the
most trivial observer. A few years
ago. for instance, robins had been so
seriously reduced by unrestricted
cunning and pothunting that they
W ere seldom seen. Since they have
been protected in most of the eoun-
ties they are to be seen by thousands
throughout the State, and they are
are so tame that one can often ap-
proach within a few yards OF them.
What is largely required in pro-
tecting game is uniformity in the
laws. An alleged uniform law for
the entire State was passed in 1898,
but - out of the % counties of the
State were exempted from its pro-
visions. This law, by the way, left
out robins and fickers, and the 6nly
way fickers could be protected was
through proof by the State Game
Warden that the flicker is wood
pecker, the lastnamed bird being i'm
mune as prey for the hunter. A
sample of the bad results OF lack OF
uniformity in the laws can be seen
in the three different opening days
of the cunning season in three differ
ept counties. Gunners may start to
shoot cartridges in Baltimore coun-
ty on November l and keep it up IN
til November 10, when they can step
over into Howard county. By Nov
ember Is they can pass into Anne
Arundel county and get the first OF
the shooting. 1t is asserted that
this is exactly what the market gun
ners do, and that they locate the
covles so that they can pass from one
to the other and get every bird with
in the range OF their carefully ar
ranged tour Of Dissemination.
There may be necessity in Mary
land for giving Western Maryland
an earlier open season than the 9TH
er parts of the State, since heavy
SHOWS and other signs of winter fall
upon that part of the State so much
earlier than in the southern and east
ern sections. But if, as is proposed
by some, the two sections be def,
nltely marked by dividing line, the
laws of each erea should be the same
throughout that area, and not be
punctured by exceptions of the var
ious counties. While the general
law protects song and insectiverous
birds much better now than in years
past, such anomalies are seen as in
the case of robins, which may be shot
in seven counties and in none of the
rest
The scarcity of quail has been
marked this season in many places,
and some protectors favor law to
prohibit killing them for term OF
years. If this is best, such law
ought to be passed promptly, so that
the native birds may restock the
State; but no counties should be ex-
cepted. 1t is proposed by those who
favor two shooting areas or zones
that the cunning be restricted to one
month in the year, and that the date
in Western Maryland be from Octo-
Der l to November l, while in the
other territory November Is be the
earliest date. though preference OF
some of the most thoughtful is for
December as the opening day, so
that the young birds will be fully
grown.
But besides the problems of the
upland game, Maryland has an i'm
mense interest in its waterfowl
shooting, particularly on the Sus-
suehanna flats. which produce the
best ducks in the world. Serious
violations of law occur there which
should be halted promptly, and ser
iOus injury is done to the game there
in ways that are more injurious than
the violations themselves. A still
greater injury is done by the State
through its omission to equip officers
50 that they can apprehend violators
OF the present laws, and now is the
time for the General Assembly to
wake up on such matters, for the
ducks are growing fewer each year.
Fishery quest ons are Of equel i'm
portance, and purse-netting goes on
without let or hindrance-thls, main
" bee use the laws are absolutely
inadequate. and because, If they were
adequate, there is no care taken by
the State to give its officers the
means to correct abuses. Surely
tn In ypoo korS muSt attend to tnlS