The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1920-04-26
'SPORTSMEN DECLARE
THERE'S PLENTY GAME
Those Who Attended Game Confer
ence Claim That Better Laws
Have Helped.
BIZ PETER T.. CARNEY.
Editor National Sports Syndicate.


When you can get nearly 400 per-
sons to come to New York from all
sections of the United States, Alaska,
and the even bleaker regions Of the
Hudson Bay country TO listen to talks
on the conservation and propagation
Of fish and game, you are forced to
admit that there is something to all
! this tax about the great outdoors
life.
Those who attended tho sixth an
nual game conference of the Amer
lean Game Protective Association
were representative men and women,
Including the fish and game commits
sioners OF twenty-four states. These
people make a study OF game condi-
ions IL their respective states, and
they ottend these conferences TO i'm
part this knowledge they have gained
to others In this way those in at
/ tendance learn the true state IF con
ditions that exist everywhere and
thar. the conference is in position Ia
suggcS' the United States govern
ruent ard the various state legisia
lures Just what should be done TO
correct whatever evils are complained
Of
The conference is considered Of
such Importance that the United
. States government was represented
/ by Col Henry s. Graves. then chief
forester; George A. Lawyer, chief
game warden, DIR. A. X. Fisher and
| u W. Nelson--men who know more
! about game and FISH conditions in the
/ CfitfG states than any set OF men.
! The Fix situation in the Yellowstone
! Park regions was thoroughly gone
! into by Col Graves and he told his
| hearers 4 lot about the Elk they had
/ not read in the newspapers. He said
/ that the Elk had kept pace with the
! killings despite all reports to the
! contrary. He said that reports about
the Elk slaughter had been exag
eerated. hut at the same time there
was no excuse for the killing OF SO
nanY fine animals He said this had
/ been the severest winter in thirty
/ years--and also that the government
knew what was wrong and intended
to correct the present evil The idea
was expressed that the state laws on
he killing of Elk were lax.
Hundreds II suggestions for the
( betterment OF game laws and condi
tons were offered al the meeting
! one proposal was that there should
! be a &c cents federal hunting tax, the
money derived being used 10 pur
chase free hunting grounds This
subject was one that took up great
deal Of time. Each state was urged
>
the government was asked to do the
same thing IT was the consensus OF
! opinion that there was more game
! today than in many years. The rea-
son assigned for this is that the game
I laws are better and that there are
] more hunters shooting for sport now
! than ever before The market hun
! Ter has been eliminated in many
states.
Then. too. there are more game
wardeDs than ever before True.
there are not enough wardens today.
as is proven by the announcement
that the government only has fifteen
men to enforce the migratory bird
laws. while in all Alaska, which has
5000 miles Of sea coast there are
only four game wardens. The state
Of New York has 1871 game protec-
tors In the field with a supervisor In
every district Just TO prove these
protectors are on the job Is shown
by the fact that the people they
caught violating the laws paid $65,
90 into the New York state treasury.
The object of these game confer
ences and the American Game Pro
lActive Association is to provide bet
ter hunting and fishing for sportsnfen
and we wish 10 inform You that the
object is being attained.