Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-03-08

give Nun MS cnanCe. tel yOOs gen.
tlemen. when we ride in an automo-
bile With our doors open and one foot
on the running board Of our car. with
our automatic gun cooked ready to
shoot. the partridge do not get very
much chance. or the deer do not get
very much chance to get under cover.
Now these are the things that we
heard in our inland fisheries and
game committee. and hope that this
and this bill will not be
defeated. wish to see 1t written on
the books that our live game will
have a chan :. that it will be consid-
cred rather than the individual that
is hunting. l thank you.
Mr.. METCALF OF Piscataquis: Mr..
President, as member of the COM
mittee on inland fisheries and game.
and as a resident OF one Of the
greatest hunting and fishing regions
OF Maine, hope that this bill will
not be indefinitely postponed.
In our section Of the country we
have Il chance to see some of the
ravages of automobile hunting. We
have there, extending way up into
the north woods, many roads which
have been constructed in the last
few years. and up and down those
roads in the fall of the year is a
stream of automobiles
with loaded guns. sometimes as many
as three or four parties-I know of
one case / hunter told me Of a short
time ago, that he met car running
along on those roads, with both
doors opeE and three men with load
ed guns, all loaded and ready to fire.
kneeling right down to the doors
each side. And it is exterminating
the deer and the partridges and all
sorts of game in that country. 1t Is
time that we had some protection
from automobile hunting. and I en-
dorse every word that Senator Babb
has said in this matter. and I trust
that this bill will not be postponed.
am willing to accept the amend
ment, as read, to the bill.
Mr.. THOMBS: Mr.. President. l
happen to live in a county, and in
that section Of the county. that /
think is considered as good game
section of the State of Maine as there
is in any Of the Is counties.
self do not pose as a hunter, but hav-
ing lived in this section of Maine for
a considerable number of years, l
have naturally come in contact with
many hunters, and have had to do
more or less with the enforcement Of
the fish and game laws of the State,
and l want to make one general OBJ
servation regarding legislation relat-
ing to fish and game matters.
| believe that this legislature be-
fore it passes a law Of that kind
should carefully consider as to
whether the law is entitled to and
ought to have the respect of the peo-
pie of the State. If you pass law
that is not entitled to such respect
YOU at once breed a contempt for 1t
and you invite its transgressIon'
Therefore l say that that Is an I'M
portant consideration in matters OF
this kind relating to the entire state.
Now l think the gentlemen who are
members of the fish and game COM
mittee have magnified the matter OF
hunting from automobiles and the
amount Of game that is slaughtered
therefrom. 1 want to say to you
senators, that l believe that there is
not anywhere near the amount OF
game that falls before the gun OF
the hunter from his automobile tna'
these gentlemen would have you un-
derstand. or as the gentleman VINO
represents the fish and game depart
ment in this State would have you
think an, quite ready to admit that
occasionally there is bro sho' from
an automobile, but l am NOT reaoS
,o admit that there are any consio-
cradle number, and there is even
less in number Of other animals shot
from them, And l believe 1t Is our
duty in passing upon this matter 10
carefully consider whether or not the
massage OF this act is going to help
under the circumstances as they
now exist.
Now as senators. let me call your
attention to this. that there is al
ready in existence a law prohibiting
hunting from automobiles. The bill
as it was reported from the commit
tee had added to this q provision for
the forfeiture Of the automobile,
which they now relinquish. but they
do desire that the possession OF n
gun loaded, or with cartridges in the
bagazine. shall be prima facie evil
dence Of illegal hunting. Now l do
not need to say to any lawyer in this
Senate thta there must. in order TO
make successful prosecution OF a
man arrested with a flrearm in mis-
automobile. there must be additional
evidence produced in order to get a
conviction. l do not believe that any
jury that might be empanelled in
the State of Maine would return a
verdict OF guilty against a man ar
rested in an automobile and in pes
session of a firearm, if he should
make denial that he was hunting. So
l say that in order for this to be IN
effective law, in order for 1t to have
any value whatever. the State or
the prosecuting officer must necessa-
rily produce some additional evidence
before he would be able to secure a
conviction And believe that in the
majority Of cases he might be I'M
able to do this. But il he was able TO
do it. he could get conviction un-
der the law as it stands today. 1t
would not be necessary, If he was in
position to furnish evidence that
the man was illegally hunting. tor
him to have the advantages OF 4
prima facie case. So that I believe
that the enforcement Of the law
would be acquitted and the law
would fall into disfavor, or at least