The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-06

where they ough, not to hunt. The i'i
objections are the strongest possible
argument In favor of tho requirement.
those who ought 10 hunt are allowed
70 hunt, and those who ought not to
aunt are debarred By the law, what
fine Law 1t Is
If landowner cannot be permitted
TO say who shall and who shall not
hunt MS game. the sooner 1t is all
presence Will enforce him To throw
open his land to amy ono who chooses
10 come upon II.
men 10 secure permission from their
rural friends IN advance or TO provide
. me With Z few written slips
they can politely visit the house OF tho
landowner and ask him tho privilege
they dssire II he has 10 objection he
an objection he viii not do 80 The
sportsman will not then incur the
prejudice OF the rural residents rs he
on as trcspasSer Besides there
viii lee fewer huntsmen, and this viii
he better for those who have secured
TO hunt. The law is then better Tor
the landowner, because IL insures to
him the selection OF his guests. and
better for the huntsmen. because many
81 them VIII be trcspassers 1t is
better for sport because 1t VIII be
elevated 10 a higher plane. and better
IN the number OF hunters and the law
lul character OF those who pursue 1t.
our friend says he has not secn in
recent years hunter. Naturally,
Tor they work in the dark. and do not
Intend 10 be seen. If he would consult
the records OF the United states courts
ic would discover that in 1914 prosccu-
lions involving the sale and shipment
contrary to the Lacy law. OF over 81, 900
virginia quail. and 100000 wild water
fowl had been conducted against resi-
dents of this State. In 1872 and 1918
the offcnscs were equally numerous
These figures must be very small in
comparison with the aggregate number
actually destroyed by pot-hunters. for
they only include the oifcnscs detected
and successfully prosecuted for inter-
state shipments. Think Of the number
within the State!
40, while the fox, hswh. owl and
not more voracious than IN primitive
days, when they existed in vastly
greater numbers. They did not destroy
tile game to an excessive extent then
and now, when food III general is more
abundant and game less so. these YER
min. greatly reduced in numbers. can
not do as much damage TO birds as is
charged against them They should be
destroyed by tho same law that dis
arms the pot-huntcr and game hog.
They. are all predatory beasts ana no
discrimination should be shown them.
however much they may differ in point
OF appetite for the game. We cannot
frame Il law which VIII dlUerentiate
between tho different kinds and sizes
of hogs. 1T is the game we wish 10
save and not graded menu for wild
animals and law breakers. according
To their destructive capacities that we
wish to establish.
our friend says, "The requirement
Of written permission is unjust and
foolish" The compelling refutation of
this assertion is that one state, Ala
bama. committed the so-called injus-
ticc and folly in 1907. and fourteen
other States have since been misled
into doing SO because Of the popularity
OF the Alabama indiscretions. How
foolish the world is n world In which
Virginia is almost alone among her
progressive sisters in not doing these
unjust and foolish things
Let more city huntsmen oppose the
bill and its passage will be insured for
In no other way will the law-I,.. kcra
be so forcibly impressed with the fact
that the Hart White bill Is not n spc-
cial measure in the interest of selfish
huntsmcn who want game but no
rights assured the farmer to interfere
with the convenience and liberty of
trespaSSerS.
JENNINGS C. WISE
Legislative Committee, Virginia Game
and Fish Association, Virginia Audi
bon Society.