The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-12-29
APPEALS To
SAVE THE FISH
AND GAME LAW
STATE COMMISSIONER GEORGE
W. NILES ISSUES IMPORT
ANT STATEMENT RELAI-
TIVE TO SITUATION
Thinks Some Are Like Children
Who Cry Because They
Can Not Have the
Moon.

Indianapolis, Dee. 24.-George w
Miles, state fish and game commits
sioner has issued an appeal for tn
perpetuation Of the present state IFS.
and game laws as a means of protect
ing and propogatinn not only tn
game birds and fish but the son:
birds as we'll. In his statement MI
Miles says.
rS.I6o Mt Mile ldih. % oarticleSN.
"The Audubon society has no bet
ter friend in all the state than / am
/ am in full sympathy and accort
with it In all its work as a society
Nor has it, nor can it hope 10 have
any other agency of such potency fol
the accomplishment of its aim as il
my department. But some of it
members who are extremists and have
not the wisdom of patience and wht
would have the ideal condition o.
their dreams at once, whether that il
possible or not reminds me of child
rem who sit down and cry because
the moon cannot be given to them.
We have in Indiana probably 15t
varieties of beautiful and beneficial
birds, belonging to upward of 81
families every one of which is under
the special art Of the department Of
fisheries and game. Their value t.
the farms of the state cannot be com.
puted. 1t is doubtful whether profit.
able crops either of fruit or grain
could be raised If we did not have
them aEsl of still greater Importance
than thir money value is the cheer
and the ~softening influences they
bring about our homes and into ouI
lives.
Asks Important Question
Now, In order that these dollars
may be secured to continue the work
it is necessary that the state should
license hunters and permit them to
kill only curing a short period in
each year. A few birds of one OF
these $50 varieties, the Quail which
happens to be a food bird. Would il
be wise to stop this to break down
the department and leave all the
states birds to take care of them
selves?
"It is well known that severe win.
tiers kill many more quail than hunt.
ers do. The sportsman destroys only
a part of them and always leave:
enough to stock the state anew, but
Jack Frost when he finds condition:
ripe for it, gets them all. They ear
Withstand his hardest o~ns1aughts II
they have surplus fat in their littl,
bodies but when the SHOWS have lair
deep and long and they have becom,
impoverished and he then sweeps
across the state they must perish
And it is hardly possible that in an,
period Of five years there will no
come a time particularly in the nortl
half of the state when they must b.
fed and cared for, If we would hav,
any of them left. Now so long a
this department has sufficient mel
and money this ARE will be giver
them during all such periods. And W,
shall have more and more quail ever,
year because of the money which thu
hunters give us with which to pro
tect them.
Every farmer In Indiana can hav,
a perpetual closed season for hunting
on his farm If he wishes for no per
son is allowed to hunt on his lane
without first having his permission t.
do so. If his neighbor desires to xii
a few of the quails on his own farm
for the table or permit a friend TO d.
so it ought not to be for him to sa,
that his neighbor shall be denied thi
privilege.
No small part of the time of m,
deputies is spent in aiding the farm
ers in enforcing the law against tres
passers. IF they think they can en-
fore it better themselves / am quit
willing they shall have extra polic'
powers conferred upon them for tina
purpose . 1t might relieve me of TIL
necessity of sending men to hell
them and l have plenty of other use
for the men. / don't believe howeve,
that any large number of the farmer
of the state wish to have themselves
made into game ~wardens. WhetheI
laws are passed | shall expect farm
trs to continue to appeal to this de
~parttnents just al they ire now doing
Only within the last few yea
since funds were first provided BY
licensing hunters, has this depart
uent been able to do its work in an,
effectual manner. For many years
before that we had good laws for tlI'
protection of our birds and our fish
hut they did not enforce themselvc,
and our fields and u woods becam'
almost barren of game birds and oul
lakes and streams ofish. Since ther
more than 200 game preserves have
been established which enclose a mil
lion acres of land set apart for breed
ing purposes. Farmers have been as
sisted in protecting their lands