105 



Such a blot on our statue books must be wiped out 

 at the earHest moment. I shall not be content until it 

 has been. 



The thought occurs to me that our sister States 

 must reo^ard us with fine scorn and indiofnation for thus 

 offering a premium to their own law-breakers for the 

 paltry gain to be won. It would be only reciprocity 

 for these States to offer the same premium to our own 

 pot-hunters. 



But such backward steps must not discourage us. 

 Keep up the ranks and march in line. The victory is 

 surely with us. The fish, the birds and the game ani- 

 mals in their wild condition belong to the people, and 

 the public is now beginning to recognize this fact and 

 to demand the preservation of its interests ; and our 

 law-makers are beginning to hear the demand, and they 

 must sfive heed to it. 



DISCUSSION ON THE PAPER OF 

 MR. FRANK J. AMSDEN, 



Mr. Edward P. Doyle, of Staten Island, in defense 

 of the recent game laws, spoke as follows : 



" Mr. President and Gentlemen of the American 

 Fisheries Society : — The gentleman who has just read 

 a paper has spoken of the crowning iniquity of the 

 game laws, and inasmuch as he has spoken so very 

 strong and has been so severe in speaking of it as a 

 blot upon the statutes of the State, I think it well that 

 I should tell what this law is that he construes as so 

 deadly and dangerous. " 



"The Game, Fish and Poultry Dealers' Association 

 of this city, whose members Mr. Amsden characterizes 



