The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-03-27
SPORTSMEN WAR
OVER new BILLS
THREE MEASURES ARE PENDING
COVERING VARIOUS AS
PECTs OF GAME
PROTECTION.

A merry little war Is being waged
between sportsmen of varied ideas as
TO how legislation should govern hunt
ing in Michigan. Three bills. one pro-
viding for a general commission, Sec
ond general game bin and the third
a license bill are now before the leg
islature at Lansing, and from all direc-
lions sportsmen who desire to whisper
words of counsel in the ears Of their
representatives.
No objections are found to the COM
mission bill, and il is indorsed. This
bill would create a partisan COM
mission TO administer the functions
now performed by the department. II
provides also for the state purchasing
game preserves.
The license bill is not wanted at all
unless the commission bill is passed
Without the commission and the license
bill passed, it is argued matters would
be practically unchanged, no effective
ness being secured out OF the latter
without the former.
Most Objectionable Of any appears ia
be the general game law, TO which sew
eral changes are sought Section three
provides that no person shall hunt on
another's lands when the same have
been posted. except with the written
consent of the owner. This it is
claimed vitiates the license the license
not securing the privileges for which
he is paying.
Privileges of Nom Residents.
Section eight is also found obnox-
ious in that by payment of SO nom
residents owning land in the state, or
members Of clubs. may ship out of the
state so wild ducks and other migra-
tory birds, shot during the season on
their premises. They have It figured
out that a nonresident hunter may
legally shoot and ship without the
state 81 game birds, and so they would
kill this section in it's entirety.
In spite of the apparent inability Of
Michigan sportsmen to reach a COM
mon ground on the, question Of game
legislation there Is one thing they are
apparently agreed upon, and that is
federal control of migratory birds. The
unceasing conflict has led some to ven
ture the assertion that this must ut-
mately come.
c. A. Shields. president of the Amer
lean League of Sportsmen, has de-
clared himself i'm favor of United
States control. at must come eventu-
ally, and the sooner the better" he
says The government should control
birds that live in different states dur
ing the year, just MS the interstate
commerce commission controls rail-
roads doing business in more than one
state.
State Laws in Conflict.
CAS- long as the matter is left to the
individual state governments. just so
long will there be chaos. AS it is now,
in some states a bird is a song bird
and i'm others il is n game bird. In
the states whore the same feathered
biped is a song bird it is protected by
stringent regulations. but i'm the states
where it is game. it may appear on the
market.
"There has been considerable adj
vance made in preventing the sale of
game birds and this has discouraged
the pot hunters. especially i'm the mid
die west. but i'm some Of the states Of
the Union. particularly those in the
south the pot hunter nourishes and
works fell destruction wherever he ap-
pears.
III tho government had the making
Of the laws. undoubtedly quail and
partridge would disappear from the
whore they are now common
sights. 1t was not so long ago that in
Ohio strings of quail in front of butch /
or shops were usual rather than occa-
sional. and the price used to be 81 a /
lozen. Then came a law prohibiting /
he sale of quail and the barrels that
we're shipped to the big centers no
onger went out. OF course there were
iome shipped, hut the risk was too
yrcat and the practice ceased
The lake shipments of soft coal dur