The Penn's Grove record., 1912-02-23
Senator Davis Letter on Legislation

~ tIC ltODluChbO va opiOhN
This week has been the most busy
week of any since the Legislature OPEN
ed, More bills have been brought up
and the arguments thereon have been
more heated than at any other time
during the session.
To-day seems to have been a Fish and
Game day for most all of the bills
which were brought before the Senate
for final passage were bills con-
corning fish and game laws. There was
quite a spirited debate over Senate Bills
Nos. I04 and 115. 1t was provided il,
Senate Bill No. 104 that striped bass
should not be caught in any manner in
the salt OF fresh waters over which the
State of New jersey las jurisdiction
for a period of five years. Senators
Prince, Edge, Lowland Nichols Joined
me in opposing this bill. 1t was shown
that along the Delaware River, Bay
and Atlantic Coast zoe, 900 men are eh-
gagged in fishing, most of whom catch
striped bass. New Jersey produces
only 1000 of that number and that the
complete annihilatlCn of bass WAS
claimed by the proponents OF the bill
in case they were not protected would
not result, because New Jerseys 1000
fishermen caught them, but because
3d. 900 persons from other States did
so. Again it was shown that the fish
ermen from New York, Pennsylvania
and Delaware not only fished portions
of the water over which those State
have jurisdiction but naturally came in
to those parts over which New Jersey
has jurisdiction, and since those States
did O Legislate against their fisher
men with regard to catching stl iped
bass, it would he unjust for New Jer-
sey to do so. Consequently, the bill
was voted down after much argument.
Bill No. HIS made 1t unlawful to
hunt or shoot ducks of any kind upon
the Delaware River, Bay N the tribu-
taries thereof and lands adjacent there
to after sunset. Against this bill, Sen
ators Hand, Low and Edge joined me.
1t was argued against this bill that the
time between sunset and dark was the
most desirable i'll which to shoot ducks
and that on some days it was the only
time when they left the river and came
UP the tributaries. Besides that there
was a great number of working people
who had no other time to gun than be-
tween sunset and dark and it would be
very unjust to them to pass this law.
This bill was also defeated.
Senator Gaunt's bill for the hunting
of deer passed the Senate with one vote
to spare. This bill provides that it
shall be unlawful to hunt for deer ex.
cept from November LIST to November
9Th inclusive, instead of every Wednes
day as heretofore; that was practically
the only change i'll the law.
Bill No. I67, Which Was introduced
by Senator Smalley, of Somerset,
make it unlawful to hunt, trap, kill OF
destroy, OF attempt to do so, any skunk,
mink, raccoon and ottor between March
18th and November 10Th, or any musk
rat between April IsC and November
18th under penalty of $I0.0 U for eacl
offense provided that it shall be unlaw-
full to kill muskrais any time which are
damaging banks or dams.
Senate Bill No. los provides that any
person maintaining a dam OF dams i'll
any of the waters in this State upon a
written order from the Bard of Fish
and Game Commissioners to erect thele-
in a shute, slope, fishing way, gate or
other device as such commission may
deem necessary 10 enable the fish to as.
| cend and descend the waters at all
seasons of the year and to keep the
same in good repair.
Assembly Bill No. 279, makes it law
full to lake with purse or shilred nets
food or other fish in the waters of the
Delaware Bay and i'll the Atlantic
Ocean within three nautical miles of
the exterior coast line of this State, ex-
cept between May LIST and July list.
Assembly Bill No. Isl, makes it un.
lawful to anchor any floating structure
fer the purpose of shooting flom said
structure upon any of the salt waters OF
this State without first obtaining a
license therefor, said license to cost
$1,000 for each float, and then they
may be used only on Tuesdays and Fri.
days from II hour before sunrise to
sunset, during the season that the game
in question may be killed.
Senate Bill No. LOG, giving the Fish
& Game Commission authority to ap.
point ten more Game and Fish Ward
ems, when in thier judgment they were
needed, passed the Senate this morning
by a vote of twelve for and eight
against. My contention before the
Senate was. that the Nine Thousand
dollars necessary 10 pay the said Ward.
n could he spent more advantageously
to purchase game with which to re-
stock the State, and if the Fish &
Game Commission had $4,000, which it
was g0ing to spend annually, the gun
ners, huntsmen and taxpayers general
ly would rather it be spent in re.stock-
ing the State with game than in EN-
playing ten additional Warders.
Assembly Bill No. 286, provides that
every loaf of bread made OF sold by a
baker or the dealer shall before being
delivered TIC the consumer carefully
wrapnpd in oil waYad or narafne