The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-12-02
DISCUSSION OF
 HUNTING LAWS 'Psps For Georgia Asse-
 ciafon
 STATE COMMISSIONER TALKS Alabana People Are Appreciative of The Protective Measures. TAe Rich sportsmea and Pot Huaters Are More Feared Than Men ef other classes--whst Has A.
 ready Been Done
STATE COMMISSIONER TALKS

Game and Fish NComn,issioner John H Wallace. IT,, has been invited to make an address before the members of the Georgia Fish and Game Preser- walton association at waynesboro, Ga- December 8. However. he finds he will be unable to attend the meeting and .. paper prepared bu him will be read The. paper deals with the game laws in Alabama and In part says:
 Birds and game know no State lines. hence in order that the people of Alabama may derive the highest benefits under our most excellent sfa- tutes for the preservation and pro- tection of birds and game. 1t Is im- perative that our bordering States should enact strong laws Joking to this end.
 Local game laws are failures; they, are never respected and are openly and notoriously violated. The cause of the persistent Extraction of local laws Is that there is no specially con stituted service to enforce them. and no one feels called upon to prosecute his neighbor Such g condition exist ed in Alabama prior to the inaugura- ton of our present system.
 .'The law, requires that every per- son tusAiabama who hunts on lands other than he owns or rents. or who hunts outside of the voting precinct Of his residence, must pay one dollar for such privilege: that every person who hunts outside of his county or residence, who does not hunt on lands owned or rented by him, must pay license fee of three dollars: that ev- cry person who is . nonresident or this State, who hunts in Alabama, must pay fifteen dollars
 Ut may surprise you to know that with our agricultural class of people, the game law Is exceedingly popular. The farmers have recognized the fact tliat some protection must be extend- ed to the game, or the time would come when there would not be . ves- tige left in Alabama.
 '.The idea that game laws are sta tutes made for the benefit ot the rich is an exrsoded theory. The money king. deeirsngt sport. has but to step aboard his palace car and be whirled in q few hours to veritabie sports mans paradise, where he can find In pristine abundance In the primeval forests every species of game that could delight the hunters heart. The ordinary citizen Is prevented >on ac- count of his limited means from mak- inR these excursions, and If he Is te partake of game and enjoy the sport found in hunting It. he must capture if near at hand. Hence the game laws are directly beneficial to the masses.
 Nc 0bjections.
 "A few people In Alabama have ob- secfed to the statute prohibiting the rnle of game, but practically All have been pacifaed and but few infractions Of this statute now occur. Despite the fact that there were many local laws prohibiting the sale of game until the establishment of the Department Of Game and Fish. game was soid Tn every county ina the State In direct vsofatfensof law. The pot-hunter can not be checked in the pursuit of his murderous vocation in q surer way than to deprive him of market TOT his wares.
 ..Formeriy the fronts of many mar ksta.y were strung with hundreds or game birds and animals. which stool out as a naussating sight to those who knew of the practices resorted to to extinguish so much wild life. The price of game was so high that the ordinary citizen could not afford to purchase it as an article or Iood' hence only the rich wer enabled 70 parfake of such delicacies. The law prohibits. the sale of game. whether taken within or without the State. This makes eur law effective, for was the saie of game. imported to Ala .bama, to be permitted. 1t would only be an invitation to the pot-hunters, within our borders. to continue to slaughter the. game within the State and to smuggie it into hotels an1 restaurants where it would be sold under the guise of having been secur- ed from neighboring States.
 '"The last Legislature passed resolu- tions memoralizing Congress to es- tablish a fish hatchery in Alabama. This bill has already passed the Sem ate and will probably pass the House before Congress adjourns.
 'sThe sportsmen of Georgia would enthusiastically support model and modern game law system. The State Game and Fish Commissioner shoul1 ] be placed on a salary payable out of the game and. fish protection fund which should be created, and into which all moneys derived from the sale of hunters licenses should be paid. The state of Georgia under the Alabama system would collect not aess than s50.000 annually. and the Department of Game. Fish and Pores try couiI be conducted with great beuefit te the masses at an expendi- ture of not exceeding $10.0o0 per year The surplus should be expend- ad in the ffupOrtatiou of foreign game