1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 188 



person that no matter how wise or necessary the enactment of such 

 restrictions may be, the regulations themselves are worse than useless 

 and bound altogether to fail in providing the desired remedy, if the 

 means of enforcing them are not available There is little doubt, indeed, 

 but that at the present time far less rigorous laws and regulationK in 

 regard to the open seasons for the taking of game of manj^ varieties 

 would be found to be amply sufficient to insure the maintenance of an 

 abundant supply if only they were obeyed to the letter by all and sundry^ 

 but in this Province, at least, it would appear to be all too often the case 

 that otherwise law-abiding citizens disregard the game laws and break 

 them with impunity, or else deem it no dishonesty or shame to abet oi 

 connive at their infraction by taking advantage of the misdeeds of 

 others to satisfy the gTced of their own appetites. That this state of 

 affairs is in large measure due to the inefficiency of the officers appointed 

 to act as game wardens and overseers cannot be doubted, for where the 

 officer charged with enforcement of the law is careless or lax in the dis- 

 charge of his duties, willing to shut his eyes to flagrant offences or even 

 himself to commit them, the public plainly will not be impressed with 

 the necessity for obeying the laAvs, but rather will be educated to treat 

 them with contempt. 



Ideal legislation in this line is that which will allow the greatest 

 amount of sport for the longest possible time, but in Ontario long open 

 seasons cannot as yet safely be attempted in the majority of cases, 

 especially in regard to the larger forms of game, for game is fast dimin- 

 ishing, and until the system for enforcing the observance of the game 

 laws is vastly improved, the standard of its officers raised and the public 

 itself taught to respect and obey the laws, the prime necessity must 

 remain to endeavour to save the game at all costs while these matters 

 are being contemplated and effected. Doubtless some hardship will be 

 wrouglit on hunters in the process; some dissatisfaction be voiced among 

 them and by those who appreciate game for table purposes and conse- 

 quently protest at being deprived of their sources of supply or having 

 the same very much curtailed; but these are trifling considerations 

 when weighed in the balance against the importance of perpetuating 

 the game, and the selfish interests of the few must be sacrificed for the 

 present and ultimate benefit of the majority. Even under an adequate 

 system of control some offences will be detected and punished, some 

 persons will be deterred from breaking the law; so that it is apparent 

 that while the outstanding necessity of the case in this Province is to 

 remedy the system of administration and improve the staff, the imposi- 

 tion of additional difficulties in the way of the hunter or additional 

 restrictions upon him can be counted on to achieve some measure of 

 good in connection with the number of creatures slaughtered. 



Some complaints have been made against the reduction to one deer 

 only of the number of deer that may legally be killed under one license 

 ;ni(' to tlie suggestions, also made in the Interim Report of this Commis- 



