The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-02-03
BY WILLIAM r. COLLINS
Times Special Writer


secret"
Thus spoke Benjamin Franklin
long before We had a department of
conservation, long before We had in
this country that peculiar type Of
genus. homo sapiens, that thrives
on discomfort - the cOlumnist -
homo, a Greek word referring to
man; sapiens, a Latin word mean
ing filed with wisdom.
1 doubt very much if We can claim
connection with or title to this
scientific appellatiOn. especially that
branch Of the columnar fraternity
that deals with conservation. Know
ing as little as We do about the topic
the safest ground to deliver our
written lectures from pre-eminently
is the home ground Of personal ex-
perience. Even then, we will have
70 Qualify 10 some extent as OBJ
servers.
When any member of our fra
ternity prowls out of bounds and
starts wishful thinking, dabbles in
mathematics to prove his point and
finally rounds out his column with
his own personal discontents word
ed to read that they are the con-
census of opinion of the hunting
and fishing enthusiasts. it is time
for the innocent bystander to hunt
cover and wait for the debris to fall.
Carping Criticism Is Futile
All of this is brought to mind by
reading an article written by one
of the outdoor contributors to the
city Sunday newspaper.
There is a vast difference between
constructive and carping criticism.
One is a welcome relief. a mental
stimulant, a rip cord for official
egotism, but the carping kind serves
no useful purpose. It debases the
man who utters it and angers into
perversity the man who receives 1t.
I know from personal experience.
We are informed in this Sunday
article that the department of con-
servation is not doing so well. The
ma joFity of the hunters and fisher
men say so. To prove his state
mentS. the writer scoops up an arm
ful of figures pleasing to his fancy
and arrays them before a not too
credulous outdoor public
He first instructs us that to save
the fish and game we need ninety
six game wardens, one for every
county. Four additional counties
are hardly worth an argument, so
let us proceed. He states license
fees bring in 100000 a year.
This wishful thought states an in
come of 100000 more than the con-
servation department ever received
in the peak year of 1929 and more
than SIPS, 900 in excess of what the
present administration has taken
in to date.
Errs in Calculation
So. he continues, with ninety-SiX
game wardens paid 500 per month
he is emphatic about the ninety-six
the warden service will absorb
only -fortieth of the depart
ment'S income. He writes out the
One-fortieth thus so there can be
no mistake.
That amount he concluded is lit
tie enough to pay out to protect In
diana game. and save throwing to
the winds all the money We spend
yearly on fish and game raising
activities.
Actually a game warden costs
$500 a year. salary. car and ex-
penses. Ninety-two of them would
take not one-fortieth of the license
fees but so per cent and would
leave for the department to carry all
its other activities about $4,000 a
year.
That distribution of the depart
ment's funds would stop all fish and
game rearing activities.
Finally. to be entirely consistent,
he terms the recommendation of the
foremost game expert in the coun-
try. Seth Gordon'S advice that we
increase the hunting and license
fees to 50 as "bolony."
To have ninety-SiX game wardens
We would need the 81 fee but that is
not the point. the writer would have
US know that he has settled the ar
gument for all time and dismissed
it with "bolony."
Theodore Roosevelt stated:
with the facilities at hand for
the dissemination of news it is not
surprising we know so much: the
surprising thing is that we know so
much that Is wrong"
Little Game Killed by Hunters
Cornell university is responsible
for the statement that only per
cent Of our game is killed by
hunters yet We should have a war
den force costing so per cent of our
income 10 protect that per cent.
A careful survey Of all the facts
N hand leads ME TO believe that
Indiana is making more progress to-
ward a well rounded out plan of
conservation with the money avail
able than any sister state, that even
in comparison with Michigan. max
ing a proper allowance for the
vastly greater amount Of money it
has for conservation work, We are
doing well.
We have thus far cut our sails to
match our cloth and have then
trimmed them 10 match the wind.
Until the sportsman contributes
the other dollar. the price OF one
bucket CT minnowS or the cost of
one box OF shells. the process of &C
celebrating the progress of the de-
partment Will be slow and accom-
plished out Of savings. You can't
get blood out Of a turnip. Mr.
Sportsman; you can't run your
hobby on river water. II you want
more FISH. more game, more protec-
ton you will have TO Sweeten the
kitty. not feed it ~bolony."
CHURCH DINNER SET