Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-02-08
Evening Session

That every sportsman who delights
III hunting and fishing in the state of
Maine must make some little person
al sacrifice in order that the fish and
game of the State might be con-
served was the declaration of
Charles Southland of Groton. Mass,
nationally known fly casting expert
and author of book on that sub
ject, in a speech before the members
of the association at the banquet
which was held in the main dining
hall at the Augusta House Thursday
evening.
In his address Mr.. Southland said
that conservation means to protect
and propagate the wild life of Maine.
To do this it is necessary that the
sportsman school himself so that he
does not take more than his share of
the vast resource of the State.
Maine is unusually situated geo
graphically said the speaker, but it
is almost ideally situated from the
standpoint of maintaining wild life.
He advised the members of the ASSOC
citation that they could not say too
much in any way in their praise Of
the State and urged that they tell of
its many merits whenever the oppor-
tunity affords.
He declared that every sportsman
who comes to this state to fish and
hunt should be perfectly willing to
contribute to the work of protecting
the fish and game so that there might
always be the same good hunting and
fishing here that there is now. lie
further stated that lie believed that
they should contribute literally to
this great work.
Willis f. Parsons, commissioner OF
Inland Fisheries and Game, after
reading a letter from Gov. Pcrcival L.
Baxter, in which he expressed his re-
greet tina the could not be present at
the meetin, gave resume of some
of the more important things that
have been done by the fish and game
department in the past few years.
He said that fishing IS the bigger
sport of the State and that the great
influx of fishers from other states has
been responsible in some cases for
depicting the ponds. To offset this
the IL State hatchcrieS have nearly
doubled their output of fry by vari-
Gus means and are working hard to
keep the ponds stocked.
The natural supply Of fish in ponds
is in some cases retained by screens
where the fish might run down the out
let and be unable to return. FiShwaHs
to the number OF % have been put in
in the past few years, this also mate
rally helping to keep the ponds
stocked.
A provision OF the state laws gives
the commissioner power to close de-
pleted ponds for n time upon n petit
tion of a certain number of voters Of
the town in which the pond is situat-
ed and after n hearing. ani this is
done to give the ponds a chance to re-
cupcratc.
Mr.. Parsons d -clarcd in the course of
his talk that he had the hest st Of
wardene the State Of Maine had eyer
lad, and that they arc Guing all in
their power, not only t. bring law
breakers to justice but to educate the
hunter and fisher In the needs of game
conservation. He said that he believed
the results Of this work would become
increasingly apparent in the nrXt few
years. and that while he believed game
was holding its own now, he believed
that the law should be amended so that
but one deer could be shot by hunter.
John Sprague of Dover Foxcroft was
called upon and told n little OF the
early days Of the Maine Fish and Game
Association He was one of the MEM
bers of the Legislature and signed tho
petition for the charter in 1893 and
has followed with interest the work
OF the association since that time. He
spoke of the fact that the State de-
partmcnt of inland fisheries and game
is self-supporting and turns in 4 good
revenue to the state every year. and
declared that he could not understand
why so many people should knock the
department and it's fine work.
Others who made brief remarks were
the retiring president. William &. Hill
of Portland: tho new president. Ste
rhen T.. Cordwell Of Westhrook: a past
president of fhn association, burton
$. French of Bangor: John Otterson. n
representative Of the Du Pont Powder
Co; Fred Jorganson. warden Of
Aroostook county; Howard Wood.
warden Of Greenville. and Hon. Frank
G. Harrington of Augusta. fIr. Far
rinGton stated that if his ambitions
were realized he felt that the sports
men of Maine would not regret g..
The wardens OF the State who ere in
the city to attend the meeting will hold
a get-together this morning at the
State House.