The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-01-07
COMMISSIONERS
EAT &;''9.s!E WITH
LOCAL CL0I. zen
DISTINGUISHED Guests at Annual
Dinner Of County SpOrtsmen
WARWICK CARPENTER PRESIDES
Remarkable Moving Picture Made
by New York Commissioner
George n. Pratt Shown
WARWICK CARPENTER PRESIOES

NinetysiX members and guests at
tended the annual banquet of the
Bennington County Forest, Fish and
Game association held Thursday eve
ming at Apollo hall Through the
courtesy of the association president
Warwick S. Carpenter, a quarter of
moose meat had been provided as the
piece de resistance of an excellent
menu and the postprandial exercises
were graced by the presence of two
national figures in the work of con-
servation, George II. Pratt, the New
York conservation commissioner,
and John w, Titcomb. fish and game
commissioner for the state OF Yer
mont
Ever since the Bennington county
organization became firmly establish
ed it has been the custom to hold at
least one gathering during the year
The meetings have all been enjoyable
and more or less profitable, but the
DdiAQNL Aui NNNIilhe7 III tNCIy
respect eclipsed all previous efforts
The spirit OF good fellowship that has
always characterized the meetings
was even more in evidence, the inter
est was keener and the applause
which greeted the speakers was
marked by enthusiasm which must
have been highly appreciated.
Added interest was created by an
entirely new feature, the moving pic.
lures and views provided by Commits
sioner Pratt and his assistant, Mr.
Carpenter Both views and movies
depicted some of the different lines
of work that are being carried on in
New York and were convincing addi-
tions to the word pictures of the
speakers.
Beside each plate was a postcard
with a little verse by Commissioner
Pratt which read as follows:
only man in a forest green,
Only match that was dropped
unseen,
Only a fiame-some leaves and wood
Only a waste where the forest
stood
These few lines were the keynote
Of the remarks made by both the com.
missioner and his assistant. The an'
nual destruction of standing timber
in New York, as in other states, is
enormous. Nearly all of it is due to
the carelessness of campers, hunters
and fishermen and the commissioner
has inaugurated an extensive cam
paign OF education to prevent the
loss.
President Carpenter presided as
POSTMASTER in that happy and efici-
ent manner that has been in evidence
at previous banquets during the years
that he has been at the head of the
association. The festivities were Civ
en- fine start by the reading by vii.
liam ii. Nichols of an original poem
written by James Ryan of Hoosck
Falls in acknowledging the receipt of
a fishing rod made to order by James
II. McGurk of this village
Commissioner Titcomb was the
first speaker and the round of ap-
plause with which he was greeted
must have convinced him that he is
always welcome guest of Benning-
ton spOrtsmen. He spoke as follows:
The last time | had the honor of
addressing the members of the AS
sociation-about two years ago-I
had for my topic: THE Intrinsic
Value of the Fish, Game and Fur
bearing Animals Annually Taken in
the State" and showed that at most
conservative calculations it amounted
to over half million dollars or an
annual dividend on Vermont's wild
life assets capitalized at $12,500,-
100000 if we take the usual savings
bank rate OF interest of per cent as
basis.
This year, there has been a falling
Off in the dividend of fur-bearing
animals, offset by the largest killing
Of deer in the history of at least the
past fifty years 1t is doubtful If
there is another State which in pro-
portion to its area can show such a
deer crop as was harvested this past
open season of eighteen days.