The sun., 1919-02-23
TWO MAJOR FACTORS
IN GAME PROTECTION
Impartial Enforcement Of Law
and Cooperation on Part
Of Public.
NEW MEASURES ARE USED
ny GEORGE ID. PRATT.


State Conservation Com N, tsstoner.
Effective game protection involves two
| major factors. one Of which Ia Just,
impartial and rigorous enforcement Of
the law, and tho other the development
OF cooperation on the part Of the pub
| lie. During the past year important
steps have been taken under both Of
these major heads.
The steady development of the game
protective force during the last ten
years has had rather more emphasis
placed upon 1t than the development
OF public understanding regarding
game protection and the enlistment of
cooperation. The two lines Of endeavor
should run side by side. and the COM
mission has accordingly instituted q
! number OF new measures TO accomplish
this object.
The use OF posters In the forest pre-
servo counties as q means Of public ed
ueation regarding the proper use Of
the forests. has been found for years
10 be most valuable method for de-
veioping cooperation. Until recently.
however, posters have not been en-
ployed in the division Of fish and game.
Because OF the success attending the
forestry posters. a special poster on the
protection Of the elk was issued after
the liberation Of a carload of elk in
the Adirondack two years ago, and
has done much to point out to hunters
the difference between elk and deer and
| enlist their interest in protection Of
the elk.
Posters ana Movies Ala Work.
At the beginning Of the hunting sea-
son In 1917 a small poster bearing as Its
chief feature the words Look Before
You Shoot" was placed In all parts of
the Adirondacks and Catskilis as a
protection both to human life and TO
the doe deer.
In the spring OF 1918 the Legislature
raised the nonresident angling license
law. In order that every person might
have full notice OF this new require
ntnt the commission issued a poster in
the form of a notice to fishermen, call
ing attention 70 the requirements of the
law. This poster was put UP every
where throughout the State in hotels
railroad stations, post offices and on
trees along the shores OF streams and
lakes
Still later in the year a poster was
prepared to carry the appeal to sports
men ard farmers to Help wild Life to
10 It's Bit" It developed the idea Of
conservation Of wild life a a war time
measure and was designed to emphasize
ecrnc OF the real rea sons behind the con-
servation laws. This poster has been
used everywhere throughout the State
with excellent results.
New motion picture films have been
taken this year on different phases Of
game protection and are being shown
In the theatres Of the State.
The commission has conducted n con-
sistent educational campaign in the
press regarding game protection and has
taken every step possible in this and
ether directions to safeguard wild life
by the development OF a proper appre-
citation OF is value and of the conse-
quence of disreEarding the law.
It Is guided throughout this work by
the idea that It's chief function Is to
protect wild life rather than to bring
| violators to punishment, and that the
second and more drastic measure should
be resorted TO only when the first 10 not
effective.
Impartial Enforcement OF Law.
The commission considers a rigorous
enforcement OF the law TO mean the
bringing OF violators to accountability
for their offences to the fullest extent
possible with a highly trained and eff
cient body of game protectors. 1t must
unquestionably mean that II a man has
violated the law every effort Of the COM
mission must be exerted to impose upon
him the punishment specified by the law.
with only such leniency as the circum-
stances and statute Justify.
Nothing will instill greater respect
for the law into the minds OF possible
violators than the definite knowledge
that there is an effective force Of wild
Ike protectors who will use every proper
effort to compel them to account for
their offences. The commission believes
&Ha SS thnrnuObyxx
pretended by all violators. just that
much sooner will violations materially
decrease
Impartial enforcement of the law Is
simple phrase which every one UNDER
stands. Persons occasionally appear
who profess to misunderstood It's direct
meaning. and wish to work It out In
some way by indirection.
An analysis OF the monthly lists of
game law violations in the Office of the
commission will make 1t clear that the
game protective force understands ths
meaning OF impartial enforcement of
the law.
Here again II Is appropriate to say
that the better II Is understood that the
law is impartially enforced, the sooner
will violations cease by persons whom
one would least expect to be tempted to
commit such violations
Publicity strong Weapon.
In April, 1917. the publication ~ a
monthly statement OF game violations
was begun. 1t gave a list OF violations
by nature and by counties and showed
the amount of recovery. 1t was very
widely used In the newspapers each
month, but the commission was con-
tinuaiiy asked for the names OF the vio-
lators that the statements covered.
II was accordingly decided in June.
1918, as a result of these requests. TO
expand the form OF the violation state
ment and give the name OF each violator,
the offense for which he settled or was
convicted, and the amount OF the re-
coyery. Tho publication In the newspa-
pers OF the portions Of the statement re-
ferring TO each county has Increased
materially since that date.
The result of publishing this state
ment has emphasized the truth OF as
sertions frequently made that many vio-
lators have little objection TO paying
fnes for nisdemeanots. provided they
can escape publicity. Since the publica-
ton of names was Instituted the COM
mission has had repeated offers or un-
contested settlements upon condition that
the names be withheld from publication.
II has in every instance refused TO
accede 10 such requests and has adopted
as a fixed policy the publication OF this
information regarding every person who
settles for a violation or is fined.
There are, OF course, frequent infrac-