Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-12-28
Success OF Game
Protective ASS n.

Over $36o0, mostly in payment of one
dollar yearly membership dues have al
ready been received by the American
Game Protective and Propagation Asso-
citation, according to figures given out,
recently, from its offices at III Broadway,
New York. Although little more than
two months lave elapsed since its incor-
poraton. the Association has lent val
liable aid to the cause of game protee-
ton, and sportsmen from all over the
country, realizing the necessity for
prompt and concentrated action if our
fish and game are to be saved from ex-s
tinetion, are fastening to enlist under the
National Standard. over dozen life,
and a number of club memberships have
been secured.
The New York State Fish. Game. AMI
Forest League. which counts among its
members most Of the local clubs of the
state and which has been very influential
in securing the enactment OF good legis-
lation, joined the now Association by tae
unanimous vote of the annual convention
held recently in Schenectady.
Canada. and almost every state in the
Union, have furnished members, paying
from Size to 500 a year Memberships
are secured on the following basis: AS
or more annually; Life. $l0o ut one time;
Patron. 5000. and Benefaeter, So, zoe.
The funds derived in this way. together
with an income of $4,000 subscribed by
manufacturers, is administered by ex-
perts trained in the profession of game
and fish, protection and propagation.
They stand ready 10 give their support
to any good cause for the furtherance of
| these ends.
Among the things already accomplished
] by the Association is a complete re-
| organization of the Protective forces OF
| one state where special agent spent 10
1 days during which time more convictions
were secured against violators than in
| thS preceding 10 months. The agents
work with the local authorities, in most
cases turning all evidence over to them
SO that they may obtain the convictions.
The president of the Association, John
| r Burnham, who has for years been
| identified with protective work, and who
| is an authority on game laws, has been
| asked by the State of New York to assist
| in codifying its laws. He is one OF a
committee of three engaged in this work.
Reports of local conditions, which
| members have sent in, are strikingly
similar. Inadequate or conflicting laws.
| poorly enforced, are the rule almost
| everywhere. LaXity in the enforcement
| of Kane laws is often due to considera-
lions OF local politics from which the AS
seeatien's special agents are immune.
| and are therefore able to obtain evidence
against, and prosecute vIolators, where
the county or state officers would not do
so. In other cases the local authorities
are simply handicapped by lack of funds
and are only too glad of the assistance
of the Associations trained men,
Another of the commonest obstacles In
the way of bringing to justice those who
are ruthlessiy despoiling the country of
the game which rightfully belongs to all
the people, is inertia on the part of a
public as yet unawakened TO the disas-
trous results which are sure to follow I
this despoilation. If the community un-
der his surveillance is not behind him, a |
warden can accomplish little. The Asso- |
cations agents are active in spreading /
the gospel Of game protection among I
those who do not realize its necessity /
The interest that has been manifested
from the start and the loyal support |
which sportsmen and others have ac-
corded to the American Game Protective
and Propagation Association, shows that
people are ready to take the same posi- I
ton in the matter of saving our wild life
that they have taken towards the conser-
walton of some of our other natural re-
sources Nothing but united effort can
save the fish and game. The business of .
the National Association is to organize
as well as to exert this effort.