The New York herald., 1922-04-02
Alien Dog Lam Advocated
For Preservation of Game
Has Aided in Pennsylvania in Eliminating Half
Starved Mongres That Scour Woods and Become
Greater Menace Than Hungry Wolves.
ny FRANK f. DOLE.

The State OF Pennsylvania has on It's
the alien dog law legislation for the
preservation of wild game which other
States might do we'll to follow. Both
these laws might be called drastic, the
former prohibiting an alien from pos
sessing firearms of any sort and the
latter forbldding aliens owning dogs. 1t
has been found that In the years they
have been In existence they have con-
tributed wonderfully In the conservation
Of game.
Enactment of the alien gun law came
in 1909 after II had been found that the
drift OF aliens into rural communities
had been followed by such wholesale
violations of the game laws that wild
game was menaced seriously. The vio-
lations came either as the result OF
ignorance of game laws or deliberate
intention to break them. At the request
OF the Board Of Game Commissioners
the Legislature enacted its drastic law.
1t was the first law of It's kind and was
contested IN the Supreme Court OF the
United States and there declared con-
stitutional.
For several years there wcs an i'm
provement In game conditions. but It
was found that the aliens In rural dis
nnongrels, kept in a haIf-starved state.
These animals were securing the woods
for their food and becoming more OF O
menace TO all forms OF wild life than q
pack Of hungry wolves.
Game Protector " rites.
The laws were recently called TO my
attention. and have received from
Warren Frets, game protector for Bucks
county, a letter explaining the laws.
what they were intended 10 accomplish
and what they have done.
The alien dog law" he writes, was
passed during the 1915 session OF ths
Legislature and approved By Gov. Brun.
baugh. 1t provides that no alien may
own dog and provides for the confls-
cation of the dogs and the filming OF yio-
lators. After tho passage OF the law
an extenAive campaign OF education was
undertaken by the game protectors. Th
law was published in local newspapers
and was posted and placarded extern
sively in foreign languages,
After sufficient time had elapsed for
different nationalities to fam.liarize
themselves with tho new law personal
campaign was started In which the Off
cials explained the law in person aud
requested aliens to dispose OF their dogs.
This met with rather meager results and
a campaign was started in allen districts
OF arrcsting and convicting vioators IL
summary procedure before justice OF
the peace. These prosecutions wero
brought In different districts as a warn
ing, and soon the law became more rig
idly enforced
Now 1t Is the procedure to prosecute
wherever violation Is found. have
successfully prosecuted about l25 violat-
- -.
than $500. In the year 1920 I made
80 arrests as result OF which about 2n0
dogs that were game destroyers wero
confiscatcd by the State and killed.
"All OF this work was done In rural
districts where there was real menace
to game conditions. as n ma Jority Of
the dogs were kept In half-staryed condi-
tion and allowed to roam the woods for
food. Usually where aliens were found
violating the law they had three or four
dogs and sometimes as many as seven
Seldom we're these OF pure breed or
strain but OF a mongrei type. usually
combination OF those types we'll able
to scour the country for their living.
aybat statistics show.
THAT this law Is a wonderful bcne-
faction 10 tho conservation OF Wild life
none can doubt after watching It's opera
ton. Such law rigidly enforced where
there 80 a large alien rural population Is
bound TO benefit game. In late years
the allen population in Bucks county
has increased rapidly, especially IN rural
districts. Statistics show that at pres.
cnt 20 per cent. OF the rural population
Is foreign born and In many OF the
wilder districts colonies OF Aliens cover
large tracts not readily accessible.
lxsfr 9.yfs av,g hg et
state 10 have alien gun and dog laws
and understand there arc now seven
States which have followed her example.
When the benefits of these laws IN the
conservation of wild life are thoroughly
understood still others will enact sirli
lar leg.slo ton"
~ would appear tho alien dog ia.v
might work hardship or foreign visito.s
and those who had not lived In tie
State long enough TO be naturalizcd, Lut.
50 far as I can learn. the law has I teen
enforced with an aim 70 curbing at usee
and not 20 work exceptional inJustices.
Those who called the law 70 my atter-
ton could see no great hardship In a law
which could be avoid, by such a wor-
thy expndient as an alien becoming a
citizen OF tho country OF his adoption.
Bulldog fans will regret 20 hear Of the
death OF that fine pair. Vicar Verax
and Verdun verax. Vicar was frequent
ly seen at the Westminster and was a
consistent winner and perhaps ono OF the
best American bred bulldogs. The pair
were owned by the late John H. Horrax
and left BY him 10 Alice G. Jacobus Of
Bradley Beach, n. J.
The list OF judges FOR tho match
show OF tho Hudson County Kennel