The Washington times., 1924-04-05

ause relapse.
men say that due to the back
ward season they look for a
prosperous period ahead. Here's
hoping that their optimistic mir
rOr is correct.
F. e. Symanoskie returns from
the land of the Everglades after
two months stay, during which
he devoted his time to following
the trail of Florida's famous big
| mouthed bass. His largest game.
ster, a fourteen FOUNDER, was
taken from Wellington lake on the
east coast, and has been entered
in the Izaak Walton big fish con.
| test.
"Symmy," as he is known to
his angling friends, said that the
big fish are hard to master once
they start for the lilly pads, as the
underground is very heavy, and
that on more than one occasion he
had his. eighteen-pound test lines
snapped as though they had been
cotton thread"
According to Mr.. Symanoskie
the natives of Florida are begin
ming to open their eyes and look
conservation straight in the face.
They are realizing for the first
time that unless some drastic steps
are taken the inland waters will
soon be depleted of the gamesters,
as the fish are getting scarcer
each year. Up to date there has
been no closed season and very
little planting of fish in these
| gotten together to see if some.
thing along these lines cannot be
accomplished. In Hylands county
the first bit Of legislation has been
| enacted, it requires a $1.00 license
| Zee and puts the bag limit at ten
bass per day.
The wild life of today is not
wholly ours, to dispose of as we
please. 1t has been given to us
| in trust. We must account for
it to those who come after us
and audit our records.
| Last Tuesday I had the privilege
of discussing with Mr.. Reverb, Of
Oklahoma, big game hunter and
fisherman, the outlook for the
future generation. He said that
unless thumbs were put down on
the killing of wild life in large
numbers, that those to follow
would know them by name only"
Our Vanishing Game contains for
this week most interesting article,
headed Wasteful and Wicked
| Slaughter.
In many places and in many
| particulars the American people
are giving their game fairly decent
treatment. Were this not true, the
United States now would be abso-
lutely gameless.
But we are not doing one-half
as well by our remaining game
as We think we are. We are
fOOling ourselves and systematicaI-
ly being fooled.
We are even yet killing game
on the principle that wherever it
is really abundant, or wherever the
! law permits It,, 1t is ethical ana
right to kill 1t wastefully, and give
1t away en- masse to keep it from
| spelling!
This principle of wasteful killing,
If adhered to sufficiently, assured
| ly will sooner or later so far ex.
terminate the game of North Amer
lea that sport with the gun will
become extinct.
| AS a serious-rninded and con-
scientious American citizen, and
therefore a guardian of the assets
OF our nation, do you think It is
right for men to slaughter twenty
1lve ducks per day, for three and
one-half months, simply because in
winter they congregate in thousands
IN the few places where they can
find winter food?
The United States bag.Iimits Of
per day on geese and brant, 2S
on smpe, an average of 10 on
quail (where quail shooting is
not extlnctD are wastefuI, exter.
mnatOry and wicked. The bag
limit OF on wOOdcOck is an
outrage on all the WOOdcocIx
states because that bird is now
SO scarce that it needs a five.
year closed seasOn-even fhongI,
there are a few standpatters who
ing!" -
There are consetvationists who
openly, and also forcefull:v, claim
that $50 long as ducks are not
decreasing the bag limit of rs per
day is all right" 1t is time for
the American people to know, re-
garding these bag limits and open
seasons. who are for retrenchment
and reform, and who are opposed
to 1t.
Where do YOU stand?