The Alaska citizen., 1910-10-31
ENFORCEMENT OF LAW.

In every one of the older states there still remain on the statute books laws which. scores of years ago. ou,Iiycd their usefulness. but which. through carclessness have never been repealed other state codes are encumbored by carelessly drawn }aws. 20 ridiculous that the officers of the law entirely disregard shem In parts of New England the old Blue LaWa, possibly for sen 'imonral reasons. remain unrepealed.
 But no harm is ever worked by capable officers because these laws still '>sr. for good officer appre- cia'cs fhe fact that it was ever he intention of Congress to make laws for ,he benefit of thc community rather than to impose a burden on if. If be sees fool law on the statute books, and realizes that i,
 rmi-rakabis misinterprcj~ the in, 'ontion of the lawmakers, he comes to the assistance of those lawmak- ITS by promptly forgetting that he had eyer seen the idiotic enact mem.
 If this policy had been followed by he deputy marshal who was re sponsible for the arrest of W. C. Mogea0 there would have been no question raised as to the legality of any person killing a grouse north of the siXty-second parallel A ref ence to the law would indicate its senselessness. and fl should have been entirely dsresarded until if could be corrected by Congress. In- stead, since the other course was adopted, a whole community is made to suffer
 Because il was broadly hinted that other parties were behind the prosecution Deputy Marshal Charles was asked by The Citizen if the information had been laid by him entirely on his own initiative He stated that it had been. but added that when Governor Clark was here the latter called attention 10 the lax manner. as he was pleased to call it in which the game laws were being enforced This good mixer" governor called attention to the fact that even the restaurants were serv- ing game birds. Enforce the law, urged the immaculate chief execu- tive. and he stated that if the mar shals office had no fund al it's dis poSaI for such purpose il could call on him. as he did have a fund which could be used
 To any person in interior Alaska who is at all socialistically inclined the impression is conveyed that there appears on all occasions to be fund specially provided for the prevention of the enjoyment of his rights, while, for the administration of the sensible laws which prevail for the prevention of crime or ale. viati"n of suffering there is no money available.
 A man may have his sluice boxes robbed his cache broken into. his dogs stolen, or even murder may be committed. ano when the mar shals office is appealed to the in variable answer received is that there are no funds available" A prospector may be found freezing to death on the trail but. unless he can he charged with vagrancy, no re lief can be extended him by the government. And yet Governor Clark has a fund in his possession which he is volunteering to expend in the enforcement of a law which says that no game birds shall be killed north of 62 O, Wise and Generous Governor. more power to your elbow Such a judgmatically bestowed paternal interest in the welfare of your subjects" is in- deed deserving of much praise.