The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-18
CAME BIRDS FOR ALL, QU|NN's PLEA
Commissioner Opposes Plan To Make Game Preserves
 Fairgrounds Of Rich
STATE CAPITAL BUREAU 1 THE AGE-HERALD !
 

Opposition to the adoption of game laws in this county similar to those existing in Europe was voiced by l. T. Quinn. state commi ssioner of game and fisheries, who returned to- day from the ninth annual confer ence of the American Game Protec- tive association at New York. MT. Quinn also attended the meeting of the migratory bird treaty act ad visory board at Washington. He read a paper on Quail in the Southern States" at the New York meet. In commenting on tendencies in game protection today Alr. Quinn stated:
 There is tendency among cer- tain classes of sportsmen and few so-called conservationists, to have the United States adopt the game protective laws in this country simi- lar to those existing in European countries.
 Tn most European countries the nobility, almost entirely, own all game birds and animals, so that, in England for example, the titled mo- ,9ility and wealthy classes control common people do not have an op- portunity to hunt.
 Title k With State.
  ca if wealthy clubs and rich indi- viduals were to fall heir to all the principal shooting areas. In this country the title to all protected game birds and animals is in the state, for the purpose of protecting it. and the title remains In the state until the game has been reduced to possession.
 50 long as the title to game rests in the state, the common people l. II. tiie rich and wealthy classes.
 T do not believe that European practice will gain much of foot hold in America, especially in the south and west, where the sentiment is strongly opposed to class hunt ing.
 There is a movement on foot by some so-called conservationists of the county to secure a 50 per cent reduction in bag limit and a 50 per cent reduction in open seasons on all migratory birds. l strongly op- posed this movement, due to the fact that under the migratory bird treaty act and the regula tiops based hereunder, migratory bird life is in- creasinG in Alabama, and reports in- dicated that the same is true gen. erally throughout the country. The problem is not so much now the Ques- tion of an increase in the bird popu- lation as it is in the food supply for the birds which come to winter with us.
 0 o
 Bird Food Is Scarce.
 T am working on program at this time which will provide for planting wild rice, wild celery and other food for ducks, geese and oth- CT migratory water fowl, both In the interior and along the Alabama coast which will bring 10 Alabama large increase in ducks and other migratory wild fowl.
 "The game and fish departments of d number of other states are do- ing this with fine results. It is well-known fact that hunters in Ala bama, who can afford it, are going to other southern states to get wild water fowl shooting. while the aver s.ce' citizen is denied the privilege of shooting almost entirely. With a food planting program over fa- yorable areas. with the money sports men contribute through the pur- chase of hunting licenses, we can bring thousands of these splendid game birds to spend the winter with us."