Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-01-22
THE ANNUAL MEETING AND
BANQUET OF SP0RTSMEN'S
FISH AND GAME ASSOCIATION

understand that the supreme coure
has declared this to be class legisla-
ton and therefore unconstitutional
If that is true we bow to the courts
but nevertheless let us encourage Ia
every way we can, the man "ho
comes to Maine to build a camp. ana
give him everything possible for the
money expended.
What we cannot do today may ne
possible in the future, and in the
meantime good fellowship is worth
more to most men than anything else
My idea Is to cater to the people
outside the State Of Maine. and MAXI
them feel that they not only are wei
come, but that they are essential to
our we'll being. The more people who
are interested in Maine as vacation
ground. the better off will Maine be.
l wish that there could be more
uniformity in the duration Of tn"
open season on different varieties II
game. Possibly it would be in
judicious to make the season on
grouse and other birds coincide with
that on deer, but at the same time
there is always the temptation for the
man who goes into the woods with Il
gun during the open season on one
kind of game to shoot other game on
which there Is close time. l have
heard recommendations that the bird
season should not open until 1t is
legal to hunt deer.
Our annual outing last year was
great success, it seems to me. AL
though handicapped with week OF
bad weather which extended into the
first day Of the outing, we filled
every room in the Mountain View
House The quality Of the contests
was unexcelled by any previous out
ing, and it was evident that with
good prizes and good management
these events can be great social
success and at the same time create
an interest in shooting and help de-
velop good Workmanship. We tried
to have something of interest to the
ladies, and feel that their good will is
essential to the well-being of the out
ing.
Another matter in which this as
ISOLATION should interest itself is the
proposition of a national forest re
serve in Maine. With this subject
admit | am not familiar, but l hope to
be more so. and 1 hope we may be
able to discover some way in which we
can assist in making this a reality.
II would mean more to Maine than
anything which has been accom-
plished for long time.
In union there is strength. so we in
hunting and fishing to join our as
sociation. Our influence is in n
measure proportionate to Our num-
bers, and with numbers and en-
thusiasm we can help place on on
statutes those laws which will bes,
conserve our game and at the same
time give the sportsmen the bes.
hunting and fishing in this country.
Speeches from the floor followed anu
conferred about the several recommeI
dations mentioned in President Hodg
sons address. Opinions concerning
licenses to both resident and non-reSi-
dent sportsman We're voiced and tes-
timony concerning laws in other
states, especially New York, was heari
with interest.
When President Hersey of the
Maine Senate was called upon he
stated his utter inability to shoot a
deer, though he had shot bear. He
denounced the type of sportsmen who
go into the woods armed and supplied
with ammunition enough to go to war
and who shoot anything they come
to: deer, moose, birds and men," anu
signified that the proper place for such
was in States prison
Governor Curtis spoke briefly in ref
erence to the class of sportsmen who
shoot anything they come to and said
that possibly he might be considered
IL that class as once, when in the
woods, he had accidentally shot him
self
The report of the secretary and
treasurer for the past year was as
follows:
The year just closed must be
classed as successful one. inasmuch
as it has seen a large increase IN
membership. a we'll attended outing,
good progress made in those things
the association is working for. and II
seems to US a general revival of in
terest in its affairs.
In spite of the fact that our mem
bership is scattered all over the State.
making it impossible for many to at
tend even one meeting a year, nearly
a hundred sportsmen have joined in
the past twelve months. 1t shows
that the association has justified it's
existence, and that many consider it
so necessary to the fish and game in
terests that they are glad to support
:. by their membership, even if not
always able to take part in it's mee: =
ings.
Ninety-one new members have
joined the association: nineteen have
withdrawn, and four have died: j. y.
Greenleaf Of Auburn, Geo. H. Greeley
of Bangor, c. E. Greenleaf Of Au-
burn, and ]. Frank Pierce Of Augusta.
The present membership is 51s, much
the largest. in the history Of the or
ganization.
We have endeavored to put the as
ISOLATION. so far as possible. on an eff
ficient and businesslike basis. We
have revised the list Of members, and
have tried to bring everyone up to
good standing. The number of resig-