The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1914-02-06

t1lc 8ISdIeSC OF all Winter Sports, 'SklSpOrt.
Governor Eberhart doesn't get up to see us in
the iron country very often and sometimes we are
moved to believe he hardly knows we are on earth
up here on the Mesaba range, but we are glad to
know ne is coming now, nevertheless S..
There is one thing the people Of this section
are very generally interested in that the governor
does not seem to be in touch with them upon and
that is the enforcement of the state game and
fish laws and better and more adequate game
warden service for the protection of the wild life
of this section than we have ever yet had, even
in the palmiest official days Of George Wood, the
discharged Hibbing warden. MIR. Eberhart has
just reappointed H. A. Rider executive agent of
the state game and fish commission. His action
in so doing was disappointment to many people
in this section. Mr.. Rider as the executive official
of state board charged with the enforcement of
laws that are of especial interest in the game and
fish country is distinct failure. He has ignored
the representations of the sportsmens associations
and many of the citizens of this section consist
entity He refuses to seethe greater needfor more
and better wardens in the counties of Itasca St.
Louis, Cook Koochiching and Lake than in any
other sections of the state. Efficiency has ap-
parently meant nothing to the states executive
agent. Politics has dominated his appointments
and the administration of the commissions affairs
in this section to the exclusion of everything else
Some of the protests that have been going up
from this section about the game and fish COM
mission for the past eight months must have
reached the ears of the governor. However,
there is nothing, so far as action on the part of
Mr.. Eberhart is concerned to indicate that they
have. It is barely possible that the governor
does not understand conditions here or the need
for better law enforcement. He should be given
the benefit of the doubt in all fairness, but before
he leaves the Mesaba range the various sports
mems associations should satisfy themselves that
he is fully informed by their personal representa-
tives Of the needs Of this section for better en-
forcement of the game laws. Briefly the gov
ernor should know.
That George Wood of Hibbing is no longer an
issue and that the sportsmen of this section
stood behind him in anything but his excellent
record so far as activity in the discharge of his
duties is concerned.
That this section Of Minnesota has never had
enough game wardens.
That right now there is open violation Of the
game laws according to we'll authenticated report,
throughout all this section.
That one of the members Of the state game
aba range country.
That DR.. H. R. Weirick of Hibbing would be
just the man for such place if he could be in
|duced to accept it.
That the unpopular attitude Of the officials of
the state game and fish commission is apt to be re-
Il ected when the votes are counted on the can
didates for the gubernatorial nomination at the
coming primaries.
That the enforcement of the game laws in this
section involves some problems that are probably
not paralelled anywhere else in the country and
that the members of the state game and fish COM
mission should take more pains to familiarize
themselves with the problems presented in game
law enforcement here and the needs in that line
of this region than they have ever taken before.
When the governor understands those things
perhaps he can be induced to cooperate with the
sportsmen's associations for better protection of
the wild life of northern Minnesota.
The Virginia Commercial club has meeting