The Winslow mail., 1925-06-26
REPEAL OF THE
CANE CODE IS
THE
.SPOR 7 SNEN

game protective ASSOCIATIONS OF
| Arizona, of which there are eleven.
a bill was introduced and passed
at the session this spring which
provides for the repeal of the en-
tire code of game laws now in eft
| feet in order that new code, draft
ed by the association, could be
adopted.
AS it happens, however, the pres.
ent game code was adopted after
being referred to the people for
approval, and because of that fact
the code can not be repealed until
the people vote to repeal it. For
! this reason the measure will be put
to vote of the people at specia.
election called for this fall, when
! several other referred measures
will be considered.
When the game associations
submitted the bill to the legisla-
ture, it was supposed that the bill
would not be referred to the people
until the next general election so
that the new code could be adopted
by the new legislature Immediately
upon repeal of the old
AS. the situation is now, however,
there is much controversy and con-
Germ over the turn the matter has
taken, for if the people vote to re-
peal the law this fall, the repeal
will become effective thirty days
after the election, according to law.
and the next legislature will not
convene until 1927. A letter from
G. M. Willard, state game warden.
explains the situation as follows:
"Mr. L. j. Bennett, Secretary,
''Winslow Game Protective Assn,
Dear Sir: | am inclosing here
with copy of the game law repeal
bill as passed by the late legisla-
| ture.
IF this measure should be ap-
proved by the people at the Sep
tember election, it would become a
law thirty days thereafter, and
that would mean that from that
date until the legislature met in
January, 1927, fifteen months later,
and passed new game code, we
would have no game department, no
machinery for protecting the game.
no game refugees, that the state
fish hatchery would cease to func-
ton for at least two seasons, and
that anybody guilty of taking a fish
Or of killing a game animal or a.
game bird in the meantime would
be liable to a Jail sentence of not
less than thirty days nor more than
six months, as per sections (2) and
(4) of the repeal measure, copy Of
which l herewith inclose.
"It is up to the game associations
and the sporting public generally
to get busy at once and fight this
measure to finish. G. M. Willard,
Estate Game Warden"
According to an explanation made
by Senator R. L. Moore, however,
who was consulted by representa-
tive of the Winslow Game PrOtec-
tive association in regard to the
matter, the legislature had been
assured by Governor Hunt that in
the event the present game code
is repealed at the special election,
he, the governor, would issue spe-
cial proclamation providing that
the present code of laws remain in
effect until the enactment of a new
code.
In case this is the fact it seems
to be the general feeling among
members of the local game protec
tive organization that the people
should vote to repeal the present
code at the coming special election.
The code has proven defective in
many vital respects, it is claimed,
and the new code has been drawn
up by sportsmen themselves who
are interested in good sport and
also in preserving the game so that
good sport always will be possible.
1t is fashioned from the New Mex
leo state code, which is conceded by
sportsmen in general to be one OF .
the best in the United States anc
for this section of the
country.
The object of the new code is to
create a nonpOlitical game COM
and to provide for the best
means of protecting game as well
as proving Tue DSSL opOII lOl bdO
hunter. For this reason the game
associations are anxious to make
it effective as soon as possible.
Under the laws now in effect,
there is but one season for the en-
tire state in regard to the different
game. AS a result, hunters say, in
the case of ducks, for instance, the
season opens too early in the high
attitudes and too late in the low,
and the same condition is true in
regard to other game. The new
law would make different seasons
for different sections of the state
This is among minor changes it
would make.
At any rate the members of the
local game protective association
are considering the matter from
every angle and the final decision
that they make as to whether the
present game law should or should
not be repealed at the special cleo
tion undoubtedly will influence the
vote from this district.