THE EEPORT UPON No. 14 



It will be remarked that several overseers recommend that every one who 

 wishes to carry a gun, except a farmer on his own farm and immediate vicinity, 

 'Should be compelled to take out a license. One of the strongest reasons advanced 

 is that it would prove a salutary check on the reckless destruction of insectivorous 

 and song birds, which a certain element of our population appears to consider 

 legitimate sport. A number of other reasons are urged, and much as existing 

 regulations, which merely require a citizen of the Province to observe a certain close 

 season, and imposing a small fee for the taking of big game, may appear ideal in a 

 liberty loving community like Ontario, there is no doubt that the restrictions 

 incidental to a gun license Avould be welcome to all sportsmen. Even from the 

 sparsely peopled parts of the Province, requests have come for a re-enactment of 

 the provisions which require settlers to take out permits, the law abiding citizens 

 preferring to be under restraint rather than see the indiscriminate slaughter which 

 is undoubtedly perpetrated in certain remote sections. 



\\Tiile the trapper's and gun licenses and a royalty on the furs taken in the 

 Province could not be seriously objected to, the same can hardly be said of the 

 'Suggestions repeatedly made that residents should not be allowed to angle except 

 under the authority of a permit. May the time when such a proposition shall be 

 seriously entertained be far removed. 



FiSHEElES. 



The serious warning contained in Superintendent Tinsley's report of last 

 year addressed to certain fishermen who were inclined to, ignore the domestic 

 market appears to have had a good effect. While local dealers have occasionally 

 drawn attention to the prices they were asked to pay, investigations have demon- 

 strated that the home demand, even at lower figures than were offered by United 

 States buyers, received first consideration. Companies looked upon as organized 

 solely to cater to the export trade have conclusively shown that the requirements 

 of the home market had been liberally provided for, so much so in some cases that 

 some of their local customers were actually exporting what they were supposed to 

 have bought for domestic consumption. 



While the productiveness of Lake Erie and of the eastern end of Lake Ontario 

 is fairly well maintained and has demonstrated the value of hatcheries, the con- 

 dition of Georgian Bay continues to give the Department much anxiety. There 

 is no body of water that would repay attention better than this, and two or three 

 additional whitefish hatcheries should be located at certain advantageous points. 

 Among the many reasons why Georgian Bay should receive early attention not 

 the least is the desirability of building up on its shores a large and prosperous 

 fishing community. Very little of the territory surrounding the Bay is of a kind 

 suitable for agriculture, and while a certain amount of lumbering is carried on, 

 this industry is not likely to afford increasing employment, so that it is of great 

 importance that encouragemept should be given the fisheries as providing a health- 

 ful and remunerative occupation. All indications point to a maintenance of the 

 good prices that have ruled for some years, and what such conditions mean those 

 familiar with the prosperous fishing communities along Lake Erie know well. 



While Georgian Bay is undoubtedly the body of water in this Province iii 

 most need of re-stocking, Lake Erie should also receive attention. Fortunately, 

 the states forming the southern shore of that lake have taken up fish propagation 

 on> an extensive scale, and it is due to this that the unrestricted fishing on the 

 United States side of the boundary has been possible without resulting in deple- 



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