The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-03-08
CHANGES MADE
IN GAME BILL
MoyCuRE MEASURE PASSES SEN
ATE ny NARROW MARGIN
or ROTH VOTES.
REMAINS STATEWIDE
AMENDMENT To GIVE SUPERVISORS
POWER TO DECLARE LAW
IN FORCE VOTED
REMAINS STATEWIDE

on lands adjoining his own without
! taking out license and with many
! changes In minor details, the Mon
cure game bin was passed in the Sen
I ate yesterday with three votes 10
spare. Amendment after amendment
| designed 10 kill the force of the
measure was voted down throughout
| the day. A clause allowing a per-
son to hunt on his immediate neigh
! bor's lands was the only one added
! that makes a material change.
The Vote stood % TO IS.
/ There was long argument over an
amendment to place the power Of de-
caripg the law In force In the hands
OF county boards of supervisors, but
! the Senate wanted no local option
| game law.
The bill. with Senate amendments.
will go to the House today for con-
currence.
/ Commencing where reading of the
bill was interrupted Tuesday when
the lime bill was taken up, the bill
WAS read section by section. Hardly
clause escaped without some form
OF amendment being offered.
"A vote was first get fer L: So G. clock,
but II was soon seen this would not
allow the bill to be read and the time
was extended. A final vote came
shortly before adjournment at 5
o'clock.
Two Amendments Adopted.
Two amendments offered by Mr..
Saunders we're adopted. One puts all
waters OF the State not in Tidewater
Virginia under control OF the State
Game Commission. The other makes
oyster police captains. members Of the
tat L-tctH ,lor ct ar
inspectors game wardens.
Tenants under an amendment
adopted may hunt on the lands OF
landlords without license IL they Sc
cure permission from owners
Rabbits may be tracked in the
SNOW. The bill permits no game TO
he hunted or trapped when the ground
is wholly or partially covered with
snow. Hares and rabbits are the ex-
ception. This amendment came from
Mr.. West, who said city people were
telling of the delights of country life.
hut that country life had no JOYS If
rabbits could not be tracked in the
snow.
Half an hours argument followed
an amendment offered by Mr.. Bowers
to allow a man to hunt on lands ad-
joining his own without paying
license. Some declared IL this were
adopted II would result In the city
mans having to pay license and his
country brother hunting as much as
he pleased without paying cent.
The amendment was carried by a
small majority.
Mr.. Tavenner declared that unless
the amendment were accepted small
farmers in the Valley OF Virginia
could none OF them start out after
"a aF
Farms were small and game strayed
from one mans lands to anothers
He has no business hunting on
another's land without paying IL
cense," someone said.
An amendment to allow a person
to buy game from a tenant on his
place was defeated.
West Must Learn TO Shoot.
Mr., West offered an amendment.
which was voted down, to allow SPUR
rels, quail and rabbits to be sold. II
the law passed as 1t was drawn, he
said. a man unless he were a hunter
could not have a brace of partridges
for breakfast unless he killed them
himself. He was no hunter. but was
fond of birds. He was told that the
only thing he could do was to pur-
! chase a shotgun and learn to shoot.
Penalties for violations of the law
| were lowered.
Prolonged argument came over an
| amendment to require all county
boards OF supervisors to approve the
law before It became effective in their
counties Such strong objection arose
that the amendment was changed to
make the law affective In all counties
until disapproved by boards OF super
visors. This was defeated.
Mr.. Hart declared the local option
! feature would defeat the very pur-
| pose of the bill. lie said that if half
the counties in the State decided they
| did not want the law there would
not be enough revenue to support the
| game commission. His position was
upheld by Mr.. Walker. ..a .4s.,4. +.
-, An amendment offered By Mp Mapp
| exempting from the law cunning re-
| serves on Back Bay, in Princess Anne
| county was adopted. The author of
| the amendment said Northern hunt
ers had invested thousands OF dol
| lars in reserves and that they We're
more careful in preserving game than
any hunters in the State.
| Mr.. Royal wanted an amendment
added placing surplus funds In the
! State treasury This was not adopted
I The bill was TO. the protection OF
| game. Mr.. Walker said. and not to
raise revenue. money should be put
| hack into the commission for the pro-
pagation Of wild fowl and game.
Those who voted for the game bill
| were Messrs. Bowers. Brock. Drewry.
Early. Edmondson Fletcher, Gayle,
| Gravatt, Hartman. Hart. Holt. Lesner.
| Mapp, Massie, Moncure. Montague,
Paul, Smith. Thornton, Tucker, Walk
err. Wendenburg.
Voting in the negative were Messrs.
| Blanks, Catron. Crockett Cummings,
Echols. Featherston, Folkes, Garrett.
Hobbs. Parr, Rinehart, Rison, Roy
alt Saunders. Sowder. Tavenner,
watkins, West.
What the Bill IL.
The Moncure game bill will pro-
tect game In Virginia. Under its pro-
visions a State game commission Is
named to have general oversight of
game in the State. Under the commits
sioner there will be one or more game
wardens in each county. who will re-
ceive as remuneration fines collect
ed FOR violating the law. When do
ing actual work wardens will receive
SO a day and expenses for their serS-
ices
Every man who hunts except on
his own land or on land adjoining
his own must take out a county II
cense. for which he pays 81. A State
license will be issued for So. Nom
residents OF the State win be charged
$40 for a license.
No game may he shipped from the
State and hunters from other States