The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-03-30
But Their Sadly BY ssteps

AGub VINO t@GltlScu llell ONu pOlsCe
powers The burglar isn't half so
wary of the cop on the corner as he Is
Of the indignant citizen with the horse
pistol He knows where the cop is,
but he's never certain about the citi.
zen. The game thief can be curbed
by the same methods It's easy en-
ought to steal short trout from a pub
lie brook If ones neighbors refuse to
see anything worth describing In
court, but it's a different matter when
any one of a dozen reputable men in
town will persist In tax ng the matter
as seriously as the law intended 1t to
be taken
"One club of fifty members elects
fifteen of them who are to serve as
regularly empowered wardens without
pay. Every member Of the club is
pledged to report any violations which
he happens across and all are ready
to come into court and give open ties.
timony as to what they saw or heard.
Another organization maintains an
invest eating committee. II is the duty
of these gentlemen TO work up the
case" In other words, they investi-
gate complaints Of local infractions,
gather witnesses and evidence. They
can then turn the matter over to the
State authorities with pretty fair Ger.
tainty that a conviction will follow.
Any officer who has endeavored to
prosecute case with reluctant wit.
nesses, and in a community where SEN
timent Is either actively or passiyely
antagoni5tic, can realize the value of
honest respected and willing witness
es. who are not afraid to offer their
evidence II game and fish regula-
tons are badly observed in any single
community you may be assured that
II is SO because OF neighborhood poll
tics.7
John Smith has evidence to con
Wet Jim Potshot of killing deer out
of season He doesn't offer this evil
dence. because he is afraid that Jim
may some time get back at him, and
also because his fellow-citizens do not
take these laws as seriously as they
do others. Suppose John caught Jim
stealing sheep; he wouldn't rest until
he had Jim in granite boudoir, and
his fellow citizens would applaud his
public spirit and energy
"All this can be remedied by an or
ganlzatIon which proceeds to indicate
its determination to obey the game
avs and to see that others do like
wise There should be no distinction
between the person who robs the pub
lie trout stream and one who ,robs
/ the public treasury, but this false dis
tinction will exist so long as spots
men feel that they have dischars u
their responsibilities in full when they
buy their licenses and obey the laws
ard mercy expect others to do like
wise.
Organization is simple, and or.
ganlzation is the only cure for these
lis which result from non.coopera.
tive policy OF let George do it, If
the hunters and the fishermen place
any value upon their recreation; If
they see any reason why their fishing
and shooting privileges should be $50
lated from the influence, of petty
politics; of they realize how funla
mentally essential are the conserya-
tion regulations. then 1t is up to them
to cease complaining OF present con-
ditions and organize so as to make
things happen as they ought to hap
pen And finally these are not mere
theories, but tested facts; the results
are not problematical or idea site
they are actual accomplishments put
aero s" and finished by groups of men
in no wise different from the sports
men in your own community