Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-12-10

Maine sportsmen having the inter
ests OF this state as whole In mind,
differ radically with farmers in some
sections of the state in the matter of
bounty on black bears. The sports
mems stand on this matter as repre-
scented at business session of the
Maine Sportsmen's Fish and Game
Association, held at the Augusta
House, Thursday evening is that the
bear is a game animal in the same
sense as the deer, and that there
should be a closed time on the killing
of the big bruins during the same
period that it is unlawful to kill deer
in this state.
!, In the face of considerable agita-
ton upon the part of farmers and
particularly sheep raisers for a res
toration and increase OF the bounty
to be paid for the killing of black
bears, the sportsmens' attitude will
be somewhat of a bomb shell. The
enemies of the bears claim that they
kill off sheep in great numbers, while
the sportsmen contend that there has
never been specific case of proof
that sheep We're killed by bear, and
/ declare that dogs continue to be the
! culprits. for whose depredations the
bears have been given bad name.
- The sportsmen claim that the in
stances where sheep have fallen at
the attack of black bears are so few
that they are more than offset in re-
turns to this state from out-of-st
hunters who come to the Maine woods
with the quest of the bear as their
chief incentive.
About % members of the associa-
ton assembled at the Augusta House
last evening at the call of President
Blaine S. Viles of this city to discuss
fish and game legislation and plans
for enlarging the membership of the
Association during the coming years
through affiliation with the 20 local
organizations of sportsmen in various
parts of the State.
Commissioner Willis F.. Parsons of
the State department of Inland Fish
cries and Game; Chief Warden John
Flint of Monson: Merton French of
Bangor eek president of the Associa-
tion); DR.. Edward Paine of Water
vile and Roy Moore of the Waterville
Fish and Game association: Superin-
tendent Arthur Briggs of the State
Fish Hatcheries; George (Squanto)
Wilson of Brunswick: former Com
missioner of Insurance Ivan Lang:
NJ L. Harris. General Passenger
Agent of the Maine Central Rail-
road; George G. Orr OF Portland. and
number of other prominent mem
bers spoke briefly during the bust
ness session.
President Viles spoke in favor of
employing field secretary to go out
and solicit members on commission
basis, and this matter will be taken
up at the annual meeting to be held
the second week of January.
Members of the Waterville Fish
and Game Association spoke in sup
port of the projected opening of the
Belgrade chain of lakes to ice fishing.
measure which was attempted and
failed at the last session of the Maine
legislature. 1t was voted to 1ur1
this matter over to the Legislative
committee of the Association for &C
ton this winter. 0
Among the proposed legislation in
troduced by George c. Orr on behalf
OF the Cumberland County Associa-
ton were bills advocating Resident
Hunting License of $1.15 instead Of
the present Csc perpetual license; a
close time on black bear to cover the
period during which deer are pro-
tected: and considerable legislation
of a purely local nature which is
backed by the Cumberland County
Association.