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

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 thieves
On discomfort. - the columnist -
homo. a Greek word referring to
man: sapiens. a Latin word mean
ing filled with wisdom.
I 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
as little as re do abOtu 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
10 qualify TO 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. 1t debases the
man who utters it and angers- into
perversity the man who receives it.
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 iOrity of the hunters and fisher
men say so. To prove his state
mentS. the writer scoops up an arm
full of figures pleasing to his fancy
and arrays them before not too
credulous outdoor public.
He first instructs us that to save
the fish and game we need ninety
six game wardens. on efor 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 $4,000 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.
Ems in Calculation
So, he continues. with ninety-six
game wardens paid 500 a month
he is emphatic about the ninety-siX
the warden service will absorb
only One-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 sive 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
not take -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 niety-siX game wardens
we would need the 50 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
il 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 8 per
cent four game is killed by
hunters yet We should have a war
den force costing so per cent of our
income to protect that s per cent.
A careful survey of all the facts
in 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 il
has for conservation work, We are
doing well.
We have thus far cut our sails to
match our cloth and have then
trimmed them to match the wind.
Until the sportsman contributes
the other dollar. the price Of one
bucket of 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 fsavingS. You can't
get blood out of a turnip, Mr..
Sportsman: you can't run your
hobby on river water. If you want
more fish, more game. more protec-
ton YOU will have to sweeten the
kitty. not feed it "bolony."
HuIIRHu nIMMED GET