﻿2o8 
  Sixteenth 
  Annual 
  Report 
  of 
  the 
  

  

  way 
  of 
  getting 
  around 
  it. 
  Once 
  the 
  Commission 
  is 
  satisfied 
  that 
  

   any 
  provision 
  of 
  the 
  game 
  law 
  has 
  been 
  violated 
  that 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  

   incident 
  is 
  closed. 
  No 
  power 
  is 
  given 
  the 
  Commission 
  to 
  waive 
  any 
  

   provision 
  of 
  the 
  law 
  whatever 
  where 
  the 
  law 
  has 
  been 
  infringed. 
  

   When 
  a 
  violation 
  is 
  of 
  minor 
  importance 
  and 
  purely 
  technical 
  the 
  

   courts 
  decide 
  this 
  fact, 
  but 
  when 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  plain 
  provisions 
  of 
  

   the 
  statute 
  has 
  been 
  violated 
  the 
  Commission 
  itself 
  has 
  but 
  one 
  

   interest 
  and 
  but 
  one 
  duty, 
  and 
  that 
  is 
  to 
  see 
  that 
  the 
  matter 
  is 
  

   taken 
  to 
  the 
  courts 
  where 
  suitable 
  justice 
  may 
  be 
  rendered. 
  

  

  In 
  many 
  respects 
  the 
  game 
  laws 
  are 
  arbitrary 
  and 
  unjust. 
  No 
  

   man-made 
  law 
  was 
  ever 
  perfect 
  or 
  can 
  be 
  perfect. 
  The 
  best 
  law 
  

   is 
  the 
  law 
  which 
  works 
  the 
  greatest 
  good 
  with 
  the 
  least 
  injustice. 
  

   The 
  game 
  protectors 
  are 
  instructed 
  to 
  devote 
  their 
  chief 
  energies 
  

   to 
  the 
  suppression 
  of 
  flagrant 
  violations, 
  but 
  they 
  are 
  not 
  permitted 
  

   to 
  overlook 
  any 
  violations 
  of 
  the 
  law. 
  

  

  A 
  fact 
  that 
  impresses 
  visitors 
  from 
  other 
  countries, 
  in 
  noting 
  

   American 
  customs, 
  is 
  American 
  disregard 
  of 
  law. 
  No 
  people 
  on 
  

   the 
  face 
  of 
  the 
  earth, 
  and 
  I 
  say 
  it 
  with 
  all 
  due 
  reverence 
  for 
  this 
  

   wonderful 
  nation 
  of 
  ours, 
  are 
  more 
  reckless 
  in 
  passing 
  laws 
  and 
  

   then 
  failing 
  to 
  enforce 
  them. 
  We 
  have 
  laws 
  against 
  gambling 
  and 
  

   Sunday 
  drinking 
  (not 
  to 
  mention 
  game 
  laws), 
  which 
  are 
  violated 
  

   every 
  week 
  by 
  pretty 
  good 
  kind 
  of 
  people 
  just 
  for 
  the 
  fun 
  of 
  it. 
  

   This 
  is 
  all 
  wrong 
  and 
  we 
  know 
  it. 
  Every 
  thinking 
  man 
  to-day 
  

   believes 
  in 
  fewer 
  laws 
  and 
  an 
  exact 
  enforcement 
  of 
  them. 
  

  

  JOHN 
  B. 
  BURNHAM. 
  

  

  