THE EEPOET UPON" No. 13 



game birds has been largely reduced, it being considered better to have short open 

 seasons than alternate close ones. Of course these changes have subjected the 

 Department to a large amount of unfair criticism. Many of these critics never 

 made a success of anything, and, as a rule, having no business of their own, fondly 

 believe they could improve other people's, if they had the opportunity. Many 

 of these characters have such exaggerated opinions of their own transcendant 

 abilities that they fondly believe that, had the creation of the world been en- 

 trusted to them, they could have made a better job of it. Well, poor bodies, it 

 pleases them and hurts no one. Invidious and unjust comparisons have been 

 the stock in trade of some free lances between the Province and the State of 

 Maine, no doubt the result of guess work and ulterior designs. If the mythical 

 amount alleged to be spent by tourists annually in the State of Maine to the 

 disadvantage of Ontario is not mythical, it may be in order to ascertain where 

 these tourists hail from. If, as alleged, ninety per cent, of them are from other 

 States of the Union, then it is like a man taking money out of one pocket and 

 putting it in the other. There are more non-residents of the Province visit 

 Ontario every year than there are non-residents of the United States visit Maine. 

 This is an undisputed fact, which leads us to wonder what object residents of the 

 Province have had in so frequently and persistently fouling their own nests. 



Inspectors, Wardens, Overseers and Deputy Game and Fishery Wardens have 

 given the Department faithful and effective services. I extend my warmest thanks 

 to the Provincial police s.taff for their valuable assistance; also to the employees 

 of the Department of Lands and Mines, who as a rule have done all possible to 

 have the game and fishery laws respected. 



In 1906 it was necessary to report to you as follows: "The difficulty of 

 effectually enforcing the fishery laws of the Province should be apparent to those 

 who have given this important matter any consideration. The principal obstacle 

 in the way of effective administration is the divided jurisdiction." The Department 

 of Marine and Fisheries have recently furnished a striking proof of the correct- 

 ness of the above contention, the Deputy Minister informing me that the Minister 

 had decided to abolish the close season for w'hitefish in the waters of Lake Erie 

 fronting on the counties of Norfolk and Elgin. You will observe that this act of 

 vandalism was carried out without his having the decency to consult you. Those 

 responsible for that order in these days of conservation committed an injury to 

 the Province of such magnitude that he and his descendants will be unable to 

 atone for to the end of the world. Those hundreds of tons of breeding fish that 

 (vere destroyed during the month of November in ijake Erie were not owned 

 by the Department who issued the destructive order. Conservation of our natural 

 productions is a sacred duty. May nature be kinder to those responsible for 

 the order than they have been in obeying her laws. 



Four years ago carp were considered a nuisance by a large portion of the 

 community, the Department having numerous applications for bonuses for des- 

 troying them. It is gratifying to the Department to know that these fish have 

 become quite a commercial factor in the fish business, in fact are becoming one of the 

 most important species. 



I trust this is the last we shall hear about abolishing close seasons, and that 

 all concerned will in future act more in accordance with common sense and 

 justice by reverting to nature's perfect plan of reproduction, even if there are 

 elections looming up in the near future. 



The appointment of inspectors at the various shipping stations in the Province 

 has had a most salutary effect in preventing sihipment and sale of illegal and 



