﻿LIMITATIONS 
  OF 
  THE 
  LICENSE 
  SYSTEM. 
  

  

  In 
  many 
  States 
  the 
  license 
  system 
  is 
  still 
  in 
  an 
  experimental 
  or 
  

   transitional 
  stage, 
  and 
  its 
  possibilities 
  as 
  a 
  source 
  of 
  revenue, 
  a 
  check 
  

   on 
  indiscriminate 
  hunting, 
  and 
  incidentally 
  as 
  a 
  means 
  of 
  collecting 
  

   important 
  statistics 
  concerning 
  hunting, 
  have 
  not 
  been 
  fully 
  realized. 
  

   It 
  is, 
  moreover, 
  incomplete 
  in 
  some 
  States, 
  where 
  it 
  has 
  not 
  been 
  

   extended 
  to 
  residents 
  or 
  does 
  not 
  cover 
  all 
  kinds 
  of 
  game. 
  These 
  ine- 
  

   qualities 
  are 
  inherent 
  in 
  any- 
  new 
  scheme 
  and 
  may 
  be 
  expected 
  to 
  

   disappear 
  in 
  due 
  time. 
  Certain 
  other 
  inherent 
  difficulties, 
  however, 
  

   give 
  rise 
  to 
  problems 
  which 
  are 
  not 
  so 
  readily 
  solved. 
  These 
  may 
  be 
  

   grouped 
  under 
  three 
  heads: 
  Special 
  privileges, 
  cost 
  of 
  'collection, 
  and 
  

   enforcement. 
  

  

  SPECIAL 
  PRIVILEGES. 
  

  

  Much 
  of 
  the 
  adverse 
  criticism 
  provoked 
  by 
  the 
  license 
  system 
  has 
  

   been 
  caused 
  both 
  by 
  the 
  privileges 
  granted 
  and 
  by 
  those 
  withheld 
  by 
  

   law. 
  Certain 
  exemptions 
  already 
  referred 
  to 
  (pp. 
  30-32) 
  arouse 
  hos- 
  

   tility 
  to 
  the 
  s} 
  T 
  stem 
  and 
  undoubtedly 
  interfere 
  with 
  its 
  operation. 
  On 
  

   the 
  other 
  hand, 
  failure 
  to 
  accord 
  reasonable 
  privileges, 
  which 
  might 
  be 
  

   granted 
  without 
  impairing 
  the 
  value 
  of 
  the 
  law, 
  has 
  created 
  irritation 
  

   and 
  intensified 
  opposition. 
  The 
  exceptional 
  privileges 
  granted 
  resi- 
  

   dents 
  of 
  certain 
  limited 
  districts 
  or 
  members 
  of 
  certain 
  clubs 
  are 
  

   regarded, 
  perhaps 
  with 
  justice, 
  as 
  class 
  legislation. 
  The 
  omission 
  to 
  

   exempt 
  taxpayers 
  from 
  the 
  requirements 
  of 
  the 
  law, 
  however, 
  some- 
  

   times 
  works 
  injustice 
  and 
  arouses 
  strong 
  criticism. 
  Both 
  of 
  these 
  

   extremes 
  are 
  at 
  least 
  of 
  doubtful 
  constitutionality, 
  and 
  seem 
  to 
  prevent 
  

   the 
  best 
  working 
  of 
  the 
  system. 
  Exemption 
  ,of 
  landowners 
  or 
  tax- 
  

   payers 
  is 
  in 
  many 
  cases 
  necessary, 
  but 
  to 
  devise 
  a 
  clearly 
  constitutional 
  

   means 
  for 
  accomplishing 
  it 
  without 
  interfering 
  with 
  the 
  main 
  object 
  

   of 
  the 
  law 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  difficult 
  problems 
  still 
  to 
  be 
  solved. 
  A 
  lesser 
  

   evil, 
  which 
  can 
  be 
  more 
  easily 
  remedied, 
  is 
  the 
  policy 
  established 
  in 
  

   some 
  States 
  of 
  exacting 
  a 
  large 
  fee 
  for 
  a 
  hunting 
  license 
  and 
  refusing 
  

   the 
  licensee 
  the 
  privilege 
  of 
  carrying 
  home 
  even 
  a 
  limited 
  amount 
  of 
  

   the 
  game 
  or 
  trophies 
  he 
  has 
  secured. 
  This 
  is 
  a 
  source 
  of 
  irritation 
  

   that 
  apparently 
  serves 
  no 
  useful 
  purpose, 
  and 
  might 
  easily 
  be 
  removed. 
  

  

  COST 
  OF 
  COLLECTION. 
  

  

  Although 
  comparatively 
  unimportant, 
  the 
  expense 
  of 
  printing 
  licenses 
  

   is 
  an 
  item 
  that 
  must 
  be 
  taken 
  into 
  account 
  in 
  considering 
  the 
  cost 
  

   42 
  

  

  