The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-05-23
GAME LAWS
 OF IRELAND Effort to Protect License
 Holders. VIGILANCE OF ASSOCIATION Investigation of the Dairying
 Industry. MT. Dillon Speaks in Tipperary on the Land Bill and the Effect of
 Irish LandlordIsna.
BY TIMorHY ,. o,coNNoR.


 Dublin. May 2z.--The report present ed to the annual meeting of the Irish Game Protection Association. Sir Fred ertck Shaw presiding, referred to the increased number of prosecutions which had taken place as a result of the as- sociation's vigilance.
 This work was rendered increasing peace preservation act, which resulted in the country being filled with fire- arms of all descriptions. It was nos torious, the report stated, that only a very small proportion of the holders were licensed.
 Thanks were accorded to Lord Mas sy and George Clark, M. F., for their efforts In bringing before the Inland Revenue Board long list of offences against the excise game laws reported by the association and in which no &C., tion had been taken. The report adds that the attitude and the procedure of the Board could not be considered in any other light than highly unsatis- factory, and the action of a public de- partment whose duty 1t was to collect revenue in neglecting its responsibil- ities towards law-breakers because e private association had not at its own cost punished them on other charges deserved the strongest public condem- nation.
 Almost $115.o0o a year was drawn by the exchequer from game and game H. censes In Ireland, and if a substantial portion of the fund were applied In se- curing to license-hoiders an immunity from poachers and due protection of the game. for the right to shoot which they pay the duty. there would then be no reason for the existence of the as- sociation.
 The report mentioned as a satisfac- tory feature the number of associa- tions of tenant purchasers which had been formed to acquire and protect sporting rights. The Congested Dis tricts Board had also made a serious effort to turn the sporting rights of estates in It's hands to good account, but the Land Commission seemed to be quite indifferent as to their value.
 The Chairman, in moving the adop- ton of the report, said that he hoped the movement among the tenant pur- chasers would extend. because with the land being transferred to the tenants that was their only hope of preserving this great national asset
 J. c. Mitchell said that a protest sh ould go forth against ''the' way the country was, being overrun with guns of all kinds, which were being used indiscFiminately by everybody"
 The Chairman remarked that they now found that creameries were dIs- tributing arms at a wholesale price. a price far below what the shop-keep- CTS were supplying them at They had got evidence of that from the West of Ireland, and they believed 1t was go- ing on all over the country. He could not give the exact figures. but these arms could be -procured from the crearneries at Sl!5S to s1.7S less than dealers could afford to sell them. That was doing immense mischief. He had seen the guns and they were most abominable weapons. but at the same time they were quite capable of de- stroying an immense amount of game. The report was adopted.