The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1913-10-30
Kenosha and Racine County
Farmers start Statewide
Movement on Hunters.
TO ORGANIZE ALL COUNTIES
Farmers Will Seek Enactment of Laws
Which Will Make Possible the Pro-
lection Of Their Lives and Their
Stock from Insolent Hunters.

Driven to desperation by reckless or
careless pothunters aud angered by
their trespasses, farmers of Racine and
Kenosha counties have started state
wide move for a mutual benefit society,
the main object of which is self
protection.
Throughout the year much property
is spoiled on the farms by the careless
hunter, many accidents are caused, and
loss Of life is narrowly ayerted.
The last straw was added some time
ago when some huntsmen left the gates
of Alex Gastenhofer S pasture open,
permitting a herd of COWS to wander
on the railroad tracks, with the result
that nine of them were killed by a
train, This is one of the many in
stances of loss of property sustained
by the farmers during the hunting
season.
To remedy this and similar evils, the
farmers of the two counties held a
meeting recently at the school house in
District No. 3, and organized the Farm
ers' Protective Association Of Wiscon-
sin, with the ayoWed intention of Sc
curing relief by legislation.
They propose to enroll every farmer
in the state into their ranks before
they have completed organization, and
then through their order secure protec-
tive laws.
According to the founders of the as
ISOLATION, changes in the present fish
ing, hunting, trespassing and stealing
laws are wanted.
They want the privilege, which they
claim is now denied them, of occupying
their farms IN peace, and not have it
necessary to be a standing army for
the protection Of their farms.
Under the present laws anyone,
man o. boy, is eligible to take out a
hunting license, whether the person
has responsibility or not.
The privilege to shoot may be obtain
ed by merely peying a dollar to the
county clerk, and then the hunters
merrily go their way trespassing on
farm lands, shooting cattle, stealing
nuts and fruit and trampling grain
In many cases, when ordered off the
premises by a farmer, the hunter be-
comes abusive and violent.
The new organization proposes to
stop all this by asking for protective
legislation
According to II. B. Wilcox of Gale
donna, father of the plan, this would be
possible, and would cost but a trife.
1t is estimated that the annual running
expenses of the organization would not
be more than thirty cents for each
farmer, and for this small sum the
right 80 be master of his own proper
ty would be obtained.
Already the residents of the towns of
Mt. Pleasant and Somers have pledged
themselves to join, and have paid their
preliminary dues With the money OBJ
tanned in dues an attorney could be re-
tanned to fight for the farmers rights,
not only in the case of the hunting Ii
censes, but in every matter in which he
is threatened with adverse legislation.
The Farmers Protective Association
proposes the following changes in the
existing game and trespass laws:
They want the law changed so that
the fine for trespass, instead of six
cents, will $25 and costs for each
conviction.
They want each township to have
the right to vote as to whether or not
they want hunting licenses, and let the
individual townships, instead of the en-
tire state, decide what is best in the
hunting line for that particular com
munity.
They want every member deputized
as a special officer to stop cases of tres
pass and other violations of the law,
with power to arrest on the farm OF
on the highway.
They want fine and Jail sentence
for every person found guilty Of
damaging property or of st ealing.
They want the backing and CO.
operation of every law-abiding citizen
Of the state in their venture.
By making the penalties severe, it
is thought that every conviction will
act as = lesson to the other violators,
and will deter anyone from attempt
ing to trespass or steal on a farm.
Herbert Wilcox, of Mt. pleasant, VINO