104 



these people and the friends of game and fish protec- 

 tion. Possibly, too, the netting; will prove of ad- 

 vantage to the game fish by removing to sonie extent 

 the competition for food and the destruction of their 

 spawn. 



As I have said, the bill left the Senate and went to 

 the Assembly in a form which we thought was about 

 perfect. I wish that I might stop here and say no 

 more. But as a citizen of New York, the pioneer State 

 of fish culture and game protection, I must confess my 

 shame at the amendments incorporated into the 

 measure in the Assembly. Slight changes were made 

 in the general features of the bill, and this we consider 

 fortunate, for we had grave apprehensions. But in 

 some very surreptitious manner and at an hour when 

 it was impossible to correct it without endangering the 

 entire bill, a section was incorporated, No. 249, the 

 effect of which is to foster and encourage crime, to put 

 New York in the position of a fence, a receiver of 

 stolen oroods. This section will be a disgrace to our 

 State as lonof as it shall be tolerated on the statute 

 books. It permits the sale of game the entire year 

 around. It says to the marketshooter, "Go to our 

 sister States, shoot their game in season and out of 

 season, invoice it and ship it to the old Empire State 

 and we will help you to dispose of your unlawfully 

 gotten plunder." And further, it says to those of the 

 same disposition as to our own State, and there are 

 many of them, "if you can get game out of season 

 without being caught by the protectors, box it up tight 

 and mark it eggs or dried apples, or by some other 

 deceptive name ; we will take care of it, and when it 

 has been mixed up with Pennsylvania or Michigan 

 game the difference cannot be told, for the invoice of 

 your fellow market-hunter of Pennsylvania or Michigan 

 will cover it all." 



