The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-04-18
PROTECTION FOR
N. Dakota GAME
SOME STATEMENTS REGARDING
CONDITIONS IN BISMARCK DIS
TRIcT MADE BY CITIZEN IN
COMMUNICATION TO TRIBUNE
WANTS DEER PROTECTED.

The following communication APP
peared in The Bismarck Tribune:
My attention has been called to your
issue of last Sunday, in which a state
ment was made in an article purport-
ing to be a part Of the procedure of
the North Dakota game board in a
meeting held last week in Fargo. The
dispatch says that MIR. Bjorke in-
formed the board that an article ap-
pearing in you paper over my sig
nature, in which the board was severe
ly scored, was r~etracted by me in a
conversation with Mr.. Bjorke. AS /
had published no signed statements of
course / did not retract anything. i
did not write the article under dis
cussion, neither did ] dictate the same.
If l had done so it would have been a
more severe criticism of the alleged
game board" / would not have re-
tracted it either.
1t seems to me that politicians are
all that are wanted by the powers that
be on the board. Sportsmen need not
apply. 1t seems too bad that a combi-
nation Of politician and sportsman caA
not be found to fill a position of this
kind. Perhaps a sportsman has too
keen a perception of q square deal to
be a politician, and that is why there
are none on this Office chair game
board.
Last year there were some $22,-
600 paid in for licenses to hunt in this
state. This is in the nature of a spe-
cial tax for the expenses OF enforcing
the game laws. 1t is willingly paid by
the $4,000 sportsmen Of this state, be-
cause they realize the necessity of
game protection. OF that amount
Burleigh county paid in over 5000 last
year. Will the game board please
point out where they have spent $40
of it in this county for game protec-
ton? This county is one of the few
counties that have deer to protect.
Were they protected? Not that any
body knows of, at least not by the
state wardens. oh, no. It's too hard
work for the chair warming game
board to protect deer. What hap
pened when the river overflow ed?
They were informed in time. What
did they do? They sent Bjorke here
after the food was over. What did
they do two years ago? Sent a ward
en- after the flood was over. The To-
cal sportsmen sent out a patrol two
years ago. This patrol saved many
a deer. The bill, SIS, was sent to the
board. This was surely a modest sum.
Did they allow it? They did not.
Perhaps they needed the money 10
post a few more candidates pictures.
/ wonder if they are saving it for
that purpose this fall?
Whatever their motive may be, If
they know, / don't. What / do know
is, that in my opinion, the game board
is a joke. But it is a CHASTITY one.
1t is too bad that the story of the
game board of this state must be
written with the life blood of innocent
creatures. 1t always has been thus
in North Dakota. 1t always will be
so, so long as this office is filed by
men who care more for votes and the
success Of their party, than they do
for game protection. It will always
be so as long as this office is occu-
pied by politicians, who do not know
the difference between a meadow lark
and a Canadian goose, or a pocket
gopher and a deer, and what is worse,
care less.
The deer along the Missouri increase
rapidly if given a chance. They also
decrease rapidly if not given a chance.
The laws of this state were enacted
to protect them. Money is paid in for
that purpose. How much has been
spent to that end? The counties Of
Oliver, Morton, Emmons, Mclean,
Mercer and the counties of the north
pay a lot Of license money. How
much has been spent in this county
to protect the deer? / do not know
the exact amount but l will venture
to say that the amount so spent would
not pay the grocery bill Of a small
family one month, if no more has been
spent in the first district than has
been spent here. Does the game
board desire to protect the game?
They say they do. 1t must be so,
if they say so, but no one would ever
discover it otherwise. What the
people of this country want to
know is, what are you doing with
the $500 collected from this coun-
.#