122 Tzvciity-scvciith Aiiintal Meeting 



if its enforcement is left to local officers. It frequently occurs that 

 the small section of a State in which the law is unpopular can 

 send a strong enough representation to the leislature to obtain 

 its repeal against the best interests of the State at large. All such 

 work injures or weakens the efficiency and popularity of protec- 

 tive laws in general. The average legislator becomes disgusted 

 with the frequent introduction of bills for the propagation and 

 protection of fish and pays little attention to them unless such 

 bills are called to his attention as direcdy affecting the interests 

 of .1iis constituents. He often goes to the capital with certain 

 objects in view and interests himself in executing those objects 

 by the passage of certain bills regardless of other interests. I do 

 not intimate that he is dishonest, but his energy is exerted in the 

 interests of his own constituents. He has not time to investigate 

 proposed legislation on the fisheries, for instance. 



If then, the legislature does not believe in the propagation and 

 protectioB of fish, an organized effort must be made to educate 

 legislators as to the value of such work. The political economy 

 of such legislation must be demonstrated and an appeal made to 

 their pockets. This work should begin by educating the entire 

 people of the State. The education of the people and the shaping 

 of good legislation go hand in hand. The representative of a 

 community is usually chosen because he has been successful in 

 the management of private interests. If he sees that his con- 

 stituents are interested in certain legislation, he will interest him- 

 self sufficiently to act intelligently upon it. I have attempted to 

 show the necessity of organization to promote the objects of this 

 societv. T will now describe an organization which has been do- 

 ing successful work for nearly eight years. . It has been said that 

 fish and game protective societies seldom live more than two or 

 three years. Such is too often true, but if they are managed 

 upon a strictly business basis, their period of usefulness will con- 

 tinue as long as the objects and aims need fostering. 



At the risk of appearing egotistical because I was one of its 

 promoters, T will describe the A'^ermont Fish and Game League, 

 how it was organized and what it has accomplished. While its 

 work is confined to a State with connnercial interests of com- 

 paratively small importance, the same kind of an organization 

 can be effected suited to the needs in other States. Some States 

 already have similar organizations. 



Methods of Organization: The first steps taken were as fol- 

 lows: A circular letter was sent to every postmaster in the State 

 asking him to name all the citizens in his town who would be 



