THE GAME BREEDER 



51 



IMPORTANT LEGISLATION SUGGESTED 



By H. M. Brigham. 



Game breeders in America are much 

 indebted to Mr. Henry Martyn Brigham, 

 of New York, because he wrote the game 

 breeders' law, parts of which were en- 

 grafted on the ridiculous Bayne bill in- 

 tended to prohibit the sale of all game, 

 which was pending in the New York 

 Legislature. He adroitly provided for 

 many restrictions, which were surely 

 necessary in order to get any legislation 

 intended to encourage the production of 

 game in New York, 



The provisions of Mr. Brigham's bill 

 which became the law of New York 

 were copied in other states and the en- 

 tering wedge" in a nonsensical method 

 of game preservation was secured. 



Mr. Brigham agrees with us that the 

 time has arrived when many of the 

 restrictions (which seemed to be neces- 

 sary, at the outset, in order to. make any 

 progress) should be removed. 



In a recent letter he makes a most 

 valuable suggestion. Game clubs, he 

 says, should be permitted to shoot the 

 game birds they may purchase from 

 game farmers and from larger clubs 

 which have expensive equipment. 



Mr. Brigham agrees with us that the 

 time has arrived to issue licenses to 

 game breeders without charge in order 

 to encourage small breeders or food pro- 

 ducers. 



■'You may count on my support," he 

 says, "for any bill which will reduce or 

 eliminate the fee for a license to breed 

 game." 



The New York legislature and other 

 assemblies now in session should pass, 

 under a suspension of the rules, a bill 

 authorizing the Conservation Commis- 

 sioner to issue permits to game breeders 

 to produce all the desirable foods with- 

 out charge or fine. 



As the law reads, a small breeder who 

 wishes to purchase a few dozen eggs and 

 hatch the game birds, must pay a $5.00 

 license before he can sell any birds or 



eggs, and in most cases he must renew 

 the license and pay another fine of $5.00 

 before the birds are ready for market. 

 For what? Food producing! 



No one at this time can find any ob- 

 jection to a change in the statute in- 

 tended to encourage the small food pro- 

 ducer. 



Massachusetts issues permits WITH- 

 OUT CHARGE and the capable state 

 game officers say such permits and the 

 game breeding industry "conduce to the 

 public welfare." 



In Massachusetts it is legal to pro- 

 duce all species of game. 



In New York it is illegal to produce 

 any species excepting the imported 

 pheasant, two species of wild ducks and 

 deer and elk. It should be legal to mul- 

 tiply the species in danger of extinction 

 which most need the game breeder's at- 

 tention. ' 



If the New York Conservation Com- 

 missioner will favor such liberal legis- 

 lation, quickly it can be placed in the 

 books. 



The Game Conservation Society will 

 purchase and distribute some eggs to 

 small breeders and help them to get 

 busy. 



We hope the Conservation Commis- 

 sioner will see the importance of the pro- 

 posed legislation. He can ascertain that 

 it will be popular, and that it produces 

 results, by writing to the capable Mas- 

 sachusetts commissioners, who are a 

 credit to the commonwealth. 



Unless we are decidedly wrong in our 

 opinion, the people are in no mood just 

 now to see a food producing industry 

 strangled. 



It is absurd to say that every one can 

 destroy a certain number of birds every 

 day during the open season and that 

 no one can take a similar number of 

 birds for breeding purposes. 



