Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-01-04

The annual meeting Of the Mains
sp0rtsmen's Fish X Game Associa :
ti"n was held Tuesday afternoon in
the museum at the State house. .hct-
ing President John f SpraGue OF
Dover, who became the head of the
assoC iation VI, on the death of the
late ID. NJ. Parks of Pitsficld. de
HNered his annual address, revised
constitution was adopted and officers
elected for the ensuing year. The
meeting closed with banquet at
$50 p. NJ. at tie Augusta House.
The first business OF the afternoon
session Mas the annual address OF the
president. which WAS DIS follows
President spraeue's Address.
Gentlemen of the Maine Sportsmcn's Fish
and Game Association.
One of the primal and most vital OBJ
jects OF this association is to consider
important questions they may arise
from yaryiro conditions regarding the
propagation {, game fish and the cons"r-
walton of DO fish and game in our state.
and to make .ch recommendation to the
Legislature L. relation thereto as we
may deem wise and for the highest in
tereSt of all concerned.
While these laws are by no means per
feet il is a matter OF serious doubt
whether we should advocate any radical
the LEGISLATURE.
But there are a few changes in our fish
and game laws which might be made
without detriment TO the general system,
and would undoubtedly be beneficial.
1t is Il matter of common knowledge
that def. as we'll as various other wild
animals, some tines injure and destroy
Prior to 1893 Maine had never had any
law authorizing the state to compensate
the owner of crops thus injured or de-
c,tf4 4v.4d fnlr Ia
thereby.
The Legislature of 1903 Chap. % Public
Laws 1,N31 passed what WAS known as,
AN Act providing for a license for non
residents to hunt moose and deer" This
law has been advocated by some of the
prominent men Of the stat" and who
ago as !. years before its passage. nota-
blk bv Hon \. NJ. Spear. now a Justice
Of the supreme Court, when he las d
member of the Legislature in lSS.
For many years il was resisted with
great force, and probably no part of the
code OF fish and game laws was ever dis
cusSed with such intensity in the legiS-
lature in the press, and in the public
This association did not endorse it until
about ~. 1t is q fact. however, that its
operation has been entirely satisfactory.
and the law from every point Of view
has proved to be a signal success.
But waen the act finally beam" 4 law
after much discussion Of th~ 4uestion
and came OF the Legislature of l93. and
after the most deliberate consideration
by that committee, and b tn" Commits
Sioners. the following clause was inserted
ana va~ mad Il part of the law.
tPropid, a. however. that The Commits
sioners Of Inland Fisheries and Game
out Of the funds received for such Ii
censes, tof uun-residentst for a.tual
damage done growing crops by deer
Prior To this ter lad existed among
= h., iDt NJ am
game regions ,ome public sentiment ad-
verse to taNiu2 our citizens for the pro
-eCtlon Of on hi2 game,
II was thong by many OF IN" nest
friends Of thu ttsa and game interests
taat il would ~ not only u"litie m9y|
hut absolutely f4iE. Just ana e4nltahl".
ages from this fund to be derived fr"m
SoulceS which DID MT levy any TAX hlf-
dos upon CUR OWN people ,-
in my Judgment the VISION "i ms
opposition has been fuliN lemons lale.
established, and to a certain extent at
least. their interest III TINS sauSe became
identical with that Of ether interests
more closely allied with inland fish and
game. ,o.o e..
Ana vet the LesiIia'"lr oil lan', To- o,
some incomrithtnSlhle reason. atnt'atu acc!
this law by adding theS1 |"fNS, nul NOT
more than SO shall he paid any one per
son in any one year for damage zone by
deer to growing crops.
received from TINS source ana tnt amount
paid out for damages 10 sowing crops
during the same period are items of I'M
poltance.
From 1903 To 1893 inclusive the state re
ceiVed from NONRESIDENT licenses. $-U5'-
Nj. =. During the same time II pald l."
owners of growing crops = too,sH' OF GtllA
6-l0 per cent. of the amount received
from non-residents for the privilege Of
hunting the game of o. III state.
From these figures ii would seem ap-
parent that there is no immediate dan
ger of depicting to any serious degree
the fund thus raised from the nom
resident hunters licenses.
| am therefore Of the oninion that fair
minded sportsnen. when this matter is
duly considered. would favor the repeal
of This act of 1909
The state, having adopted the nom
resident license system, heretofore re-
ferred To, is not now required 10 appro-
PIRATE anything from the public funds
for the protection of big game, and thus
that part of this industry is now self
sustaining.
Fish culture. however. is entirely DIN :
erent and the Legislature of Maine. tthe
same as does nearly or quite every other
state in the Unio' and the National GOV
eminent as well,) makes an annual APP
preparation for this purnose ana tle
hundreds of thousands of fish yearly dis,
tributed from the State hatcheries ana
feeding stations are scattered all over
Maine the depleted lakes and rivers IN
the sea-coast counties receiving thelr
full quota the same as the interior sec
t;opu, nf the state