The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1914-02-20
STATE OFFICERS
ASK FEW ARRESTS
Declares Forty Efficient Wardens
Gould Do More Work Than the 20
I Commission Formerly Kept on Its
" Payrolls and Claims Illegal Slaught-
er of Big Game Is General Over all
This Section of the State of Mime
sofa. 49,


ing the state game and fish laws in
this section. His resignation as the
special warden of the gun clubs is
in hand and Wood will leave the work
in which he has made sensatio na]
record for the past three years.
While the work of the Hibbing
warden has not always been above
criticism, during the time he served
the state he was very active. The
name Of Woods became a terror to
poachers and pot hunters throughout
all this section and resulted in more
wholesome respect for the state game
and fish laws than ever before obtain
ed in this section.
Woods resignation from the gun
club wardenship followed long cam
paign. It was openly charged that
he had Incorporated funds through
court costs and had generally con-
Quoted things with high hand, but
the state game and fish commission
made small attempts to prove those
charges. Impartial sportsmen have
generally respected Wood for his act
ivity and for the good work he did
as warden. They would not stand be-
hind him in any official misconduct,
but his case has attracted much at
tention to the state game and fish
commission with the result that the
body is generally ridiculed in this
section. Wood sends the following
communication to the Enterprise this
week which will be read with much
interest on the range:
To the Editor of the Enterprise:
MANY Virginia people have asked
for my reason for resigning as game
warden for the gun clubs of northern
Minnesota. In reply I can only say
that I have been ~ the work long
while and have tried hard to enforce
the game laws, travelling over thous-
ands of miles Of trails and roads and
water through the big game belt and
have, think, stopped a great deal
of illegal hunting and fishing. How
ever while the protection Of our wild
life is under the present system little
can be done. The present executive
head of the game and fish commission
has been in politics for years and is
totally unfit to discharge the duties
of the position which he holds.
"When state game warden is ap-
pointed with the work at heart, with
field captains and wardens under him,
and no political strings tied to them,
who are all on the job 80 days month
AS any officer should be who per-
forms the duties-and are made to
patrol the whole big game belt, we
can look for an increase in both large
and small game and fish. We have
almost wardens enough now to do this
if they were rightly distributed and
made to get out and dig. Forty war;
dens in month could cover over 49,
900 miles of trail, travelling Is miles
a day. This would be a small hike or
trip for any man fit for the work
"The present game and fish COM
mission had up to this spring 70 war
dens holding commissions and spent
in their maintenance an immense sum
of money. Outside the fisheries de-
partment under the personal super
vision of Mr.. E. Cobb, an efficient
officer who is getting splendid results,
the whole thing is almost a farce. The
last legislature, realizing this, cut
down the appropriation, which re-
suited in the discharge Of almost half
OF these political wardens, many of
whom were engaged in lucrative bust
ness for themselves. A great part of
the wardens still on the payroll are in
the southern and, central portions of
the state and could hardly tell moose
from a kangaroo. Most of them are
the type of woodsmen who would east
~ get lost on a forty acre lot. The
only game bird they see are the mig
ratory game birds on wing or an oc-
casional prairie chicken on the premis-
es OF farmer, who is usually first
rate game warden himself. OF rs ar
rests | have made and "a convictions
L have secured in the six months just
past, during which l have been in the
employ of the range rod and. gun
clubs, not one farmer was convicted
OF having venison in his possession
tor his own use.s. Not one days Jail
sentence was served by any farmer,
The farmers, as a rule, are strong
for the enforcement of the game laws
Crimp Put on Cummings.
Several months ago Mr.. J. E.. Cum.
mmgs, q state game warden, was ask.
led by the clubs to work with me.
found him a fearless, efficient, fair.
! minded officer and we secured numb.
er Of convictions together, About