Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-01-06


game birds, fer warden service, but
which has to be denied, because of the
lack of funds. There is no good reason
to my mind why the game of Maine
should not be made self-supporting
and ample protection given, which
cannot be done in any other way, ex-
cept by direct taxation, which is not
at all likely to be done.
Iust how this law should be drawn
to meet the conditions in this State, is
and must be a matter of careful
thought.
There seems to be only one way by
which the laws can be enforced, an(
that is by having every man or woman
who hunts carry license, so that the
hunter, whether "a nonresident OF
ellen can be identified. The nQn-resi-
DEF, law is based upon the principle
that the game belongs to tile State.
The alien law is to prevent hunting by
unraturallzed foreigners, who destroy
every living thing that comes within
their range. Therefore It seems GER
tain that every man who hunts must
have a license. The fee has been sug-
gested. as one dollar. That cannot be
to hunt at all. The man who does not
want to hunt, need not do So and is
not i'll any way interested in this mat
ter.
l can sec, however, that there is a
class Of our citizens who have some
rights that might Be recognized, ana
exempted from paying fee for hunt
ing, that is upon their own lands. The
farmer suffers more or less damage
done by the States game, which cannot
be paid for often not sufficiently large to
present claim that the farmer would
care to present, but which is, after all
damage. l would except the farmer
from paying any license fee, giving
him license upon application to
hunt on his own land this. Ii
cense to cover all his family
residing with HIM. Ii he OF any of
the family wanted to hunt on other
lands, then there can be no reason
why he should not pay the same as
others.
This license question has been DIS
cussed at different times, and some
shrug their shoulders, and say, the po-
litical effect would be bad, that the
farming class would object to such Il
law, but l have observed that the far
mers of Maine take a hand in their
own thinking, and that political agita-
Ors and buncomb talk does no cut
much ice with them. Through the
game and the fishing interests, farmers
have market for everything that they
can raise, brought about by the sum-
mer travel that comes to this State,
which would he gone when our fish
and game are gone.
The charter of the Maine Sportsmen' s
Fish and Game Association provides in
its first declaration of principles "that
it is established for the purpose of as
sisting in tie preservation of our tor
ests and the prevention of forest fires. -
and while it has always done all it
could for the preservation of fish and
game, it's efforts have been continual
for the care Of the forests. This is why
it stands by MIR. Ring, the forest com
| missioner, to assist him in this direc-
ton, and to so frame our game laws,
that they may consistently care for
both interests.
Mr. Ring, it is presumed, in suggest
ing changes in the game laws is look
ing more to the protection of forests
than game, possibly, for we never have
considered that the land owners We're
| particularly anxious to preserve the
game in the wilds where they are in
terested owners of lands, for there is
no great reason why they should be,
and some very good reasons why they
would not be- but we know that with
out the forests we can have no large
game, and hence we are exceedingly
de,sirous to preserve the forests.
must say however, that the fires and
the damage done by fires, which have
| been set by sportsmen, have been very
| few when compared with the number
| of fires. We however recognize that
| the spOrtsmen's presence in the woods
in a dry time is fraught with more or
| less danger, which must be recognized
and the interests involved safeguarded
| by all proper means. 1t has been
| urged that the fish appropriation
| should be combined with the funds col
lected for game protection and used in
a general way for fish and game.
| were it was needed, by the commits
sioners Of that department. This | re-
gard as extremely unwse. 1t would
| Immediately raise the question of
| whether the nonresident and resident,
or the persons who fish and hunt, shall
paw all the cost for the care, culture
and protection Of fish and game. In
| fact, I believe it would lead at once to
| the enactment of a fishing and hunting
license law.
have always regarded the fishing
interests altogether on a different basis
| from that of game. It's advantages and
| henefits are much more general, enter
ing into every community, patronized
and enjoyed by hundreds of thousands
of tourists, men, women, and children,
the establishment of homes upon our
lakes, the addition of much taxable
property. the staying in our State
many months each year. spending large
amounts of money, affecting every
| town in the State, and helping every
community. 1t would seem that the
| state might we'll afford to pay for the
maintenance of our fishing interests
| under these circumstances and the
| hunters pay for the care of game. 1t
| is my opinion that if a fishing license
was required of the nonresident you
will find n great reduction in the num-