The Alaska daily empire., 1918-09-11
Finds That His Opposition to the Su|zer Game Bill Is Not Popular with
 the AIaSkanS.
HISTORY OF THE BILL
It Was Conceived and In- troduced at the Instance of AIaskanS Know
 ing Conditions.

l aska, and particularly from Yukon river points, show that James Wick ersham is making a strenuous at I tempt to clear his skirts of having fought the Big Game Bill which was introduced in Congress last winter I by Delegate Charles A. Sulzer., The Il facts in the case, however, are so condemning that the friends of Mir I Sulzer believe that MT. Wickersham I will never be able to aequit himself Il Conceived in Fairbanks. fostered I by the Fairbanks Commercial Club and the Fairbanks branch of the \ Council of National Defense, the big game bill was introduced in Congress by Mir. Sulzer The views set forth by the Fairbanks commercial organ ization and Council of Defense were also backed up by the Tanana Valley Agricultural Association and others. There appeared no doubt, and there was no doubt, that the people of In terior Alaska were solidly behind the Delegate in the measure.
 Wickersham's Opposition
 
 ! bill, 1t was referred to the Com. mittee on Territories and, in due course, hearings were held MT. Wickersham did not personally ap- pear before that committee. He knew, the friends of Mir. Sulzer say. that the bill was right, that it was measure started directly by the people themselves and he did not dare oppose it. But he was in the office of the chairman of the com mittee, the room adjoining the com mittee room and several times he sent in suggestions to members who were apparently in opposition. | At one stage of the hearing he sent for one of the Congressmen and immediately after his conference with MT Wickersham that member started an antagonistic examination of some of the people who appeared in favor of the bill
 And Dr. Hornaday, who appeared and made the strongest fight against the measure, stated emphatically that Mr. Wickersham told him that there were not over 5000 caribou in Alaska, which statement is known to be false by everyone that has ever lived in Interior Alaska.
 And a. Doctor" Elliott, known iE Washington to be a protege of MT. Wickersham, also appeared to make some statements against the bill but 6o< hn know anything about the matter un- der consideration that the committee wasted little time with him.
 Bill Meritorious
 The people of Fairbanks asked the Delegate to introduce the bill as conservation measure, in their loyal ty and patriotism. They thought of no politics and were anxious only to serve the best interests of the Nation. They did not wish to slaugh- ter all the game in the country as was stated by Dr. Hornaday, nor did they want permission to kill any more game than formerly. They wished only to be allowed to kill the same amount of game as formerly, but also to store it away for use throughout the year. Provision was made in the bill to protest the game against slaughter as all animals would have to be tagged by officials of the law before the open season ended. And anyone found with game not properly tagged during the close season. would be guilty of misde- meanor.
 More than year ago. in the mid dle of the Summer a man in Interior Alaska was arrested for having moose meat in his possessfon. He claimed. the game had been killed in the open season many months be- fore and as there was no means of proving otherwise he was acquitted Had the Sulzer game bill been in effect it would have been an easy matter to determine how long the game had been killed, for the stamp of the officials would show 1t plain ly.
 The bill is still before the commit tee, and notwithstanding the oppo- sition to it. Mir. Sulzer hopes to get report on it before the end of the present Congress, and to have it I enacted into law. |