Milford chronicle., 1932-01-22
MORE GAME BIRDS AND
ANIMALS AND LESS GAME
LAWS FOR DELAWARE
Communicated

More money spent on game and
less on salaries and expenses.
More conservation to save our fast
depleted game supply and less pol
! itices. Politics must be wiped out
of the Game Commission or our
wild life will be wiped out of our
fields and woods. The Game Com
mission of the State of Delaware is
composed of three members, one
| from each county: two Republicans
and one Democrat, a chief game
warden, assistant chief game war;
den, secretary and the following
game wardens-three in New Castle
county, two in Kent county, four in
Sussex county. Thus there is placed
in the hands of the above officials a
position of trust and the increase or
! decrease of our wild life rests Who'll
ly with them. They are sworn in to
faithfully perform their duty, to
make arrest of game violators, and
protect the wild life of this State. If
all reports are true, Sussex county
had no game law violators during
the past year. There seems to be a
policy of hands off. l have been told
even game wardens openely boast of
the game they bought. When the
law says, Twenty rabbits can be
sold by a land owner caught on his
own land, or freehold during a sea-
son, but it is illegal to sell, or offer
for sale Bob White Quail in this
State" The game wardens are sup
posed to obey the law and arrest
ViOlators. There has not been
enough arrests in Sussex county to
pay for the gasoline the wardens
have used during the past year. The
annual report put out by the Game
Commission will prove my state
ment. Why should we pay dog tax
to the State, when that fund is used |
for other purposes than to buy and !
protect game? The purpose of the |
dog tax is to see that our game is |
kept on an even balance, to pur-
chase game, and release it for pro- |
pogating purposes so that there will |
always be an adequate supply for
the sportsmen. Repeal the dog tax |
and you then abolish the commits |
sion.
There is friction i'll the commits
sion, and so long as it exists, we
can hope for no change in condi-
tions, and in the meantime our wild
life will suffer in the hands of a
few politicians. An ideal State Game
and Fish Commission must have the
love of wild life at heart, and be
free from politics. America has
1AnrnO6 IN |
servatiOn and politics cannot mix.
In a few States, where politics CON
troll the spOrtsmen fund, contributed
for the purpose of protecting, and
wild life, the lives of
our birds and animals have been
too often traded for votes. Birds
and animals cannot vote, nor is
their welfare and protection any
particular political party's activity.
It is paid for by our sportsmen and
Is for the good of all citizens, re-
sardless Of political affiliation or
creed. Thanks Mr.. Leffler, Presi-
lent of the Pennsylvania Game and
Fish Commission. But Delaware is
lne of the few States where the
Came Commission is controlled by (
politics. l am sorry to say, this
State is doing nothing to help the
Wild life, one of our most important I
natural resources. How can the
Welfare of our wild life exist in the !
lands of a commission where pres (
ure is brought to bear OH u game {
warden to so slow? Delaware with
is wonderful streams and woodland
houl dabound with all kinds Of wild
ife. 1t is a shame to see our State
70 backward with commission S
hat does not care, as long as Game i
Warden John OF Bill brings in the
otes at the expense of the Dog Tax t
'ayers. Thousands of dollars go l.
ng to waste, when it takes a little 1
ommon sense to have game birds
nd animals in every field, and p
7oOds in the State. Any game bree- II
er can stock the entire State, and S
lake it a paradise for sportsmen. p
he salary and expenses spent on
hese game wardens would buy all g
he pheasant and quail eggs, also
abbits to almost stock the entire .
tate. One game warden is enough I
Or the present time. Build up your d
anne supply first. and then have q
'ardens to protect them. Just ask
he rabbit and bird hunters what II
hey think of the past season. They /,
ill tell you it was a total failure. 3
tut the worse is yet to come, no U
Inds left to buy game with this u
pring. Your dog tax is gone in 9
alaries, and expenses, so there will d q,
e no Bob White, Quail, RingneclI =
heasant or Rabbits for you this u
ear. Twenty States bought licen- "
es in Pennsylvania this past sea- " -"
On. l wonder how many were sold i' ta
/ Delaware? But Pennsylvania y
lrew politics out of their commits -
ION, and it is the greatest game
tate in the Union. Just contrast
ennsylvania's chief game warden
ith our own. Our chief can nei-
Ter fire or hire warden, he has ID
o voice in it whatsoever or he will ir
,se his job. The only authority he b;
as is to draw his pay check We do re
ot even have an experimental farm cl
here species can be bred to see if pl
ley will adapt themselves to our bl
innate, and to have for exhibition G.
lrposes by the All Club boys and fr
le poultry shows and the fairs. Is if
lere not enough red blood running e
trough the veins of our sportsmen al
fight for the game birds and an cl
nails of the State, and a Commits 81
~, froo FrNr, ,,oIifias Wo,, FoIIoure 20