Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-21

there were only lDTeG large specimen
shot and brought down our Bangor
district and shipped out of the State
of Maine. The rest of them were in
feror stock,-year and two year olds.
A moose born this Spring and shot a
year from this Fail has not the proper
points to get by the law. Now this
stock is inferior and is not fit for
breeding purposes. There are two bills
before this House for the purchase of
registered stock to breed for cattle and
horses. Now we believe it is just as
essential for us to keep up the breed
ing stock of these moose; and l hope
the members of this House will vote
TO recede and concur with the Senate,
for it is for the best interests of the
! people of the Stayc of Maine.
Mr. MOOERS of Ashland; Mr.
Speaker. l agree with the gentleman
from Pittsfield (Nlr Smith in some
particulars; in others l do not. | agree
with him that we should consider
this thing fairly. He has given you
| the impression in his argument that
there are in this State, today, over
2900 moose without mates That is not
SO. He leads you to believe that each
COW BlOoSc requires bilt Jul iA''A 30
not a fact, which any man of expert
ence knows. Any one who has hunted
deer in this State has sooner or later
shot doe that are barren. That does
not prove that there are not enough
bucks for the doe. He speaks of this
Maine Fish and Game Association, or
some such association as that, com
posed of members consisting of guides
and officers of the fish and game IN
terests We had one of the former
members or presidents of this asso-
citation before us at this hearing, and
to show YOU how practical they are IN
their statements ! want to quote the
statements of Mr.. Sprague when asked
why the moose were migrating into
Washington county or some eastern
part of the State He said he didn't
know; but he understood from animal
/ instinct once in so often they went TO
salt water; why they went he did not
know, or any one else, unless 1T was for
bathing down to PASSPORT or Lubec.
Another matter was brought out at
| this hearing. and in which our con-
| tention is conceded by Mr.. Harvey.
on page IT'S he says, among other
things. I'm New Brunswick we have
seen the moose migrate into, and per-
manently occupy, an extensive area
| that previously was destitute of that
specie; and | think it carries out our
| theory that we claim the moose are
/ migrating into the southeastern part
of the State They are there, today,
and we submit YOU will agree, from
the testimony given us, that they are
~, l., 1ptjfipG and for that
reason, and that alone. they are mi
grating from one feeding ground 10
| another.
| Mr.. MeFadden of Lubec: The gen.
tleman from Pittsfield seems to have
great confidence, or lays lot OF Stress
on the recommendation of the com
mittee on inland fisheries and game.
I want to tell you little story that
one of the principal witnesses told me
| that was down before the committee
on inland fish and game. The follow
ing morning 1 met him here at the
Augusta House, and l asked him the
question why it was that there WASH
| any more COWS, provided the law pro-
! tected them, and he told me for the
simple reason they were killed. l SAYS:
sWhy can't you stop them" He SAID:
t.for the simple reason If nelShbof OF
yours goes out and kills a COW moose,
brings him in and puts him in his eel
! lar, YOU don't feel like taking INN and
| filming him, and, the result is you let
| him GO" Now if this inland fish and
| fame commission would use more care
| and look out that their wardens re-
spect the law more than they do,
! think we would, have better satisfac-
| ton over the State.
Mr.. TRIMBLE, of Calais: This is of
vital consequence to US in our section
of the State, and when the vote is
| taken / ask that it be taken by yeas
and nays.
| Mr.. AUSTIN of Phillips: I had not
| intended, this morning, to participate
| in this discussion, because | talked you
all about to death, two weeks ago and
| ] do not intend to repeat the perform
ance; but | want to rise to second the
request of my esteemed friend from
| Calais in asking that the vote be taken
| by the yeas and nays, and also To de-
! fend the charges that have been COM
| ing all through the session regarding
| the reinforcement of our fish and
game laws by the present Commission
| of Inland Fisheries and Game. / want
to say, out of justice to Chairman
Wilson, eX-Land Agent Mace. and the
present land agent, Mr.. Viles, who have
constituted that commission for the
last two years, that i believe that that
commission has done the very best it
could do, with the funds it had. This
is a department which is growing very
fast; it's needs are continually increas
ing; while the necessity appeared to-
demand, two years ago, a cutting down.
of $4,000 nearly in the appropriation
given to this commission for the en-
forcement of these very laws. Now
practically every time there has been
an Investigation before our committee
on inland fisheries and game, this win
ter, it has been charged that the game
laws were all right as at present, pro-
Vided they could be enforced, and that
they think they ought to be enforced
and could be enforced. Now | want
to say to the gentlemen who have per-
sisted in criticising the non-enforce-
ment of the laws which are under the
jurisdiction of this department that it
has been, in my opinion, absolutely i'm
possible, with the funds at hand for the
last two years. TO prODerlV enforce the