The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-12-16
AS TO THE GAME LAW.
MFR. Rice Explains What Is Required
or Non-Residcnts Who Wish to
Hunt Here.

The press. daily and weekly, can
prove OF invaluable assistance to the
Audubon Society and TO the State as
we'll by giving wide publicity to the
fact that nonresident and alien Iicen-
ses are due from every nonresident
and alien who hunts In South Carolina.
Many of these licenses are being col
lected by the wardens, but many will
seek to evade them.
My orders to all waidens are to ar
rest any man found hunting without
license and to bring a case agains,
him for the offense which is a misde-
meanor under our laws, punished by
fine up to 500 and imprisonment for
80 days. for each days hunting with
out license.
In no case Is warden allowed to
accept payment Of license in settle
ment Of the offense. The Audubon
Society intends to put stop to eva
sions of the law and the most effectual
way to do this Is by making an ex-
ample OF somebody and the bigger the
somebody. the better the example.
Last year It was general practice
to accept payment of license in full
settlement OF the offense. owing to the
fact OF our enforcing the license laws
not being generally understood. This
year, however, the fact has been ad-
vertised In every publication on the
subject throughout the United States
The government at Washington has
published the fact In their publications
and sent II broadcast over the United
States. There is no possible excuse,
then for any man coming into the
State to hunt and pleading Ignorance
The license costs $40 and the clerk
OF court charges Csc for issuing the
same
The newspapers have proved of in
valuable assistance to the society by
the heralding the coming Of visitors
and especially visiting hunters. This
enables the wardens to get at them
better. or course. there Is no desire
to take advantage OF anybody, but as
a matter Of fact many men expect to
take chances until caught and then
think they are no worse off because
they will simply have license to pay.
The case Is very different from that
however. The State requires the hunt
er to take out license before he hunts
at all and for not doing this he be-
comes liable to fine and Imprisonment
There seems to be a bigger crop of
hunters than ever this year, which is
the best possible answer to those tim
morus souls who feared exacting Ii
cense would keep off visitors.
Already this season have the news
papers helped the cause and they can
prove OF incalculable benefit to II by
keeping this alive The money goes
into the State treasury and IL is needed
there for the purpose OF protecting
the game OF the State. Every man
that hunts without paying license
swindles TIE State out OF that much
and every citizen that fails to report
the fact has aided In Keeping the State
out of the money
There will be vastly more licenses
collected than were collected during
last season in any event, but there
should be general desire to have ev-
cry single license collected.
As another interesting addition to
the theme II makes no difference what
man hunts. where he hunts. whether
or not he owns land, or Is somebody's
guest. he is liable to license all the
same.
JAMES HENRY RICE. JR..
Secretary