1910] FOREST, GAME AND FISH WARDEN. 31 



So beneficial has it been found to charge a license fee, in order to make 

 the game departments of the different states self-sustaining, that data col- 

 lected from the different states, shows, with, one exception, the State of 

 Georgia, that every state in the Union charges a nonresident license fee, 

 and all the states but eleven, have a resident license fee A careful study 

 of the license laws, of every state in the Union, leads us to believe that the 

 law-makers of our State, have struck :i happy medium between two ex- 

 tremes found in many other states, both a* to pri.-3 of license, and other 

 reqiiirviments. 



A majority of the states charge the same resident license fee that is 

 charged in West Virginia that of $1.00, yet several states charge more; 

 some as high as $5.00 for certain kinds of resident license, while one 

 state Vermont, only charges 50 cents. The license law of our own State, 

 seems to favor the property owner or farmer, for the reason that it allows 

 him to hunt upon his own land or the adjoining land of his neighbor, by 

 securing proper permission, without requiring him to take out a license 



The sportsmen seem to be well pleased with the license feature, for no 

 sportsman would think of objecting to paying a fee of one dollar for a 

 license, which gives him the right to hunt all over the State, when lie real- 

 izes that by so doing, the game will be protected and perpetuated so that 

 he will always have something to hunt. The only objection that is heard, 

 regarding the license fee of the law, comes from the fellow that believes 

 that hunting and fishing is an inherent right or privilege intended for all 

 men by the Creator of the universe, and vouch-safed to them by 

 the Constitution of the United States; and that Legislatures and Game 

 Wardens are usurping their divine and constitutional rights 1 , by saying 

 that they cannot do as they please, and kill when and what they please, 

 of all the wild creatures of the earth. 



But all considerate men must, and do agree, that no game law can ever 

 be effective ^without sufficient funds to carry into effect its provisions, 

 and what other means could be devised, fairer to all interests, than to 

 charge a nominal license fee of one dollar, from those whio desire to hunt, 

 and thus raise sufficient revenue to carry on this great work. The revenue 

 raised from the license fee, since the law became effective, is sufficient to 

 protect our forests from fire, afford ample protection to our fish and game 

 where needed, and with government assistance, fill our streams with 

 fish. 



The money that has been raised through this license system, should not 

 be appropriated for any other purpose, than for the protection of our 

 forests, and the protection and propagation of our gam> and fish. The man 

 who pays his license for the privilege of hunting, pays it cheerfully if it 

 will be used to increase the game supply for future years and future gen- 

 erations, but this whole system will result in failure, if appropriated or used 

 for any other purpose. The subjects of Forest, Game and Fish are so 1 

 closely identified, that the Legislature wisely connected them together. 



Unless we protect our forests from fives, that have been so destructive 

 in the past, it will be impossible to retain our gamie, in our beautiful 

 mountains, and unless we save the forests, our fine mountain streams; 

 will certinly go dry, making it impossible to propagate fish in them. So 



