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


The fee for residents ought to be as
small az possible, only large enough to
secure a reasonable amount of money
for warden service. 1t will appear
when the report of the Commissioners
of Inland Fisheries and Game is made
that less number of persons took out
licenses this year, than in 1907 and
there must be a less amount of money
than last year to use for warden SER
vice. tho present jear. The truth Is,
that where only few citizens Of our
State hunted game formerly, thousands
do so now, and if this increase keeps
on, the hunting will be largely done by
Maine hunters 1 am aAking the
sIOrtsnen Of Maine, whether they are
willing to see the large and small game
pass out of existence, or become too
scarce for hunting" We have reached
Il point where something must be done.
We are to go backward or forward ac-
cOrdingly as you decide this question.
If forward, you must help.
The question Immediately arises what
would be fair amount to charge the
resident hunter for a license. 1t seems
to me that one dollar would be suf-
fcient to provide the proper warden
service, at least that amount Will make
4 substantial addition to the amount
now received, and would meet the
situation very well. The sportsmen of
this State must realize that there has
NOT been sufficient warden service to
protect the large game, and very little
done to protect the smaller game. De-
mands from every part of the State are
constant and urgent, but their appli-
cations must be denied for lack Of
fumes. / know of some localities
where warden service has been stopped
for the reason that they would not
longer be paid, and hten poachers i'm
mediately gained courage and COM
menced their villainOus work of des-
troying the game.
Let us see how this State stands in
its work for the care ard protection of
fish and game. The record is one to
be proud of Maine was the first
State in the Union to take the matter
of game preservation up and to pro-
vide by law for it's care. law was
passed in 1913, providing for appoint
ment of fish wardens for the counties
of Penobscot, Waldo and Hancock"
and in 1874 the law was modi-
fed and the towns of st. George, War
ron, Gushing, and Thoinaston, were re-
CURED tn elect fish wardens annually
to care for the fish i'm Georges River"
This was the first legal step taken to
provide for the protection of fish, but
as early as 1890 a law was passed for
the protection OF moose and deer in the
State. In 1852 additional legislation
was enacted by which moose Wardens
were appointed for Oxford, Franklin,
Somerset, PenObcsot, SagadahOf,
ArOcstoo.l and Washington counties.
whose duty il was to protect moose and
deer. This met with the approval OF
the people ard in 1853 towns were au-
thOrize.l To elect moose wardens. 1t
was not until 1858 that any other state
made any attempt to protect game.
when New Hampshire passed a law for
the protection of fish, Massachusetts
followed in 1865 and Vermont and Con
necticut in 1867. No state has backed
and filed with such persistency as has
| Massachusetts regarding the protection
of birds In the meantime Maine had
extended her laws to cover game and
game birds. Minnesota enacted laws
for the same purposes in 1887, and New
York followed in 1888. Thus within
fifty years after Maine had set the ex-
ample a half dozen states had adopted
similar Legislation. Maine stands
preeminently in the fore front of call
ing Public attention to the need of fish
and game laws and providing for the
care Of the same I might follow the
many and varied kinds of legislation
enacted in the different states which
finally led up to the. State providing
by commissioner the control and man.
agement of the Fish and Game inter-
eStS.
In 1890 there We're thirteen states
which had committed the administra-
ton of it's fish and game matters to
commissions. namely, Maine, Arizona,
California, Massachusetts, Delaware,
New Hampshire. New Jersey, North
| Carolina Ohio Pennsylvania, Mime
sofa, Rhode Island, and South Caro-
lima.
In 1900 twenty-eight states has game
| commissions, an increase of fifteen In
ten years. The laws varied to scope
and enforcement but all aimed to a bet
ter care of these important interests
There seems to have been much dlverT
sity of opinion as to whether these
matters should be entrusted to one OF
more commissioners. Some states tried
the ore protector Or warden plan and
afterwards changed to a commissioner
or more than one. New York tried
both plans but now the control is In
the hands of one commissioner.
| TO provide funds for the support OF
fish and game department various
rncthods were tried. but it was found
CiGicult and in fact impossible to get
| the state to make sufficient appropri-
alton for this purpose.
| It was finally concluded that the sup
port for maintenance of game de-
partment should come by means, with
out taxing property or appropriating
money from the treasury. This led to
| the adoption OF a observation-disclosures
and now nearly every state has de-
| rartment for the care and protection
OF it's game. This idea of making the
department of game protection, sell
supporting has led to the adoption OF
| a resident license, and nineteen states
have now law requiring residents tc
pay for the privileges of hunting. AS
! a rule the resident license fee Is small