St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1909-10-02
= 2a::'1nang" farmer
saturday, October 2, 1909.
THE GAME COMMISSION,

Inc conservation movement has mot with
support throughout the country because #
appeals to good sense and reason. Prodi-
ganCy and waste must tend to poverty and
a weakening of resources. Hence when
Inc lame Commission was established it's
OBJECT was recognized as being in line with
the thought of intelligent men. Game
throughout the State was being ruthlessly
slaughtered, threatening in a short time to
leave us without hunting grounds of anv
description. Though the object to be at
Calned meets with approval, it appears that
tnere Is considerable opposition to the meth
% pursued. While State supervision should
give the best results, there is complaint that
all the. revenue from sale of licenses goes
INTO salaries or is diverted to the use of the
state, with but little benefit to the parishes.
we cannot speak for other parishes, but the
single Office in st. Tammany parish is en-
tlrely inadequate for the enforcement of the
laws and the protection of game. If the
member Of the police jury from each ward
was made ex-officio game keeper for his
ward a much better supervision would
ne obtained than exists at present. and the
clClzen taxpayer would feel that in purchas-
ing his license he was spending his money
Tor the protection of his interests at home
The collection of statistical information by
the Commission should be of great value and
lead to an intelligent understanding in the
passage of protective laws, but in order to
be OF any service they must be accurate and
not misleading. Those relating to the last
seasons kill do nots.appear to have been re-
ceived with much confidence by sportsmen
who are in position to calculate pretty
closely as to their accuracy and in some in
stances they are treated as joke.
There seems to be a feeling of resentment
that money collected for the protection OIL
game should be turned into the general
fund or that it should be used for the estab-
Gshment of aquariums or other purposes in |
favored sections. The impression prevails |
that there should be no diversion of the |
funds from the original object of game pres
ervation, and this preservative protection
should be given alike to all sections at least
in some proportion to the amount of money
turned in by each parish from licenses.
We are not disposed to decry the Commits
sion, for we are not opposed to State Super
vision, but it is clearly in evidence that
unless the Commission accomplishes the OBJ
ject for which it was organized it will be
opposed by nearly every parish in the State
and ultimately be abolished.
The fact that the Office Of commissioner is
filled by appointment leaves it open to criti-
cism even under the most favorable circum-
stances It therefore becomes necessary
that it should exercise the greatest care in
the conduct Of it's affairs to carry out to the
fullest the intent and purpose of it's organi-
zation. Il
Individually the parishes will never be
ables.to accomplish much in the way of game
protection. The State is the logical head of !;
such movement. But to insure success it
should be removed entirely from all politi- IS
cal influence, conducted solely for game
and the improvement of hunt !
ing preserves, giving to each parish a just +
return for its contribution to the support of
the Commission, .H il
The game laws are also badly in need of =
revision. They are ludicrous in some of
their provisions and Ineffective in many re- T
spects. I
Ia
SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION S