THE LEAGUE OF AMERICAN SPORTSMEN. 



OFFICERS OF THE L. A. S. 



President, G. O. Shields, 19 W. 24th St., 

 New York. 



1st Vice-President, Dr. C. Hart Merriam, 

 Washington, D.C. 



2d Vice-President, E. S. Thompson, 144 

 Fifth Ave., New York. 



jd Vice-President, Hon. W. A. Richards, 

 Cheyenne, Wyo. 



4th Vice-President, W. T; Hornaday, 69 

 Wall St., New York. 



jt/i Vice-President, A. A. Anderson, 93 

 Fifth Ave., New York. 



Secretary, Arthur F. Rice, 155 Pennington 

 Ave., Passaic, N. J. 



Treasurer, F. S. Hyatt, Clinton Bank, 

 New York. 



SHALL WE LICENSE GUNS? 



A Michigan correspondent criticises the 

 declaration in the preamble of the consti- 

 tution, to the effect that the L. A. S. is in 

 favor of taxing guns. 



I do not understand how any reasonable 

 man can object to this proposition, after 

 considering it carefully. 



In no event would the national League 

 make laws. Neither does the national 

 body assume to dictate, to state divisions, 

 as to what laws they shall ask their respec- 

 tive legislatures to pass. It will advise the 

 enactment of such laws as it believes are 

 needed, in the various States; but the ac- 

 tive work of securing such legislation will 

 be left entirely to State divisions. Thus it 

 will become a question for the Michigan 

 division of the L. A. S., when organized, 

 to petition its legislature for a gun license 

 law or not, as a majority of the members 

 in that State may elect. 



In no event would the national League 

 advocate a gun license of more than $1, 

 and probably never more than 50 cents. 

 This we believe is necessary in every State, 

 and especially in those where there are 

 large cities containing large foreign pop- 

 ulations. Every Sunday morning, through- 

 out the spring, summer and fall, an army 

 of Italians, Bohemians, Polanders. etc., 

 marches out of every great city, armed 

 with old muskets and cheap shot guns. 

 These men and boys kill everything they 

 can find — robins, blue jays, black birds, and 

 all kinds of song birds. They kill not only 

 for the sake of killing, but for meat; and the 

 birds all go into pot. 



Even a small gun license would stop a 

 great many of these men from shooting, 

 or from carrying guns. It is well known 

 that a dog license of $1 rids any town or 

 city of many of its worthless curs, as soon 



as enacted and enforced. So a low gun li- 

 cense would rid every city of many of its 

 irresponsible shooters. All gun owners 

 who might see fit to take out licenses would 

 then be on record, and when they violated 

 game laws, or committed other misde- 

 meanors, it would be much easier to locate 

 and convict them than if they were not so 

 recorded. 



In any case where a game license law may 

 be enacted the legislature will be asked to 

 provide that the funds arising from such 

 licensing, may be set aside for the purpose 

 of enforcing game laws. Suppose for in- 

 stance, the Michigan legislature should 

 pass a law placing a license of 50 cents on 

 each gun in the State. It is safe to say that 

 within 3 months 20,000 guns would be li- 

 censed, within that State. Here would be 

 a fund of $10,000 to be used by the State 

 authorities in enforcing game laws. What 

 a great power this amount of money would 

 be in the hands of a well organized board 

 of State game and fish commissioners! 



In some States there would no doubt be 

 as many as 100,000 gun licenses issued, and 

 on the basis proposed above this would 

 provide a fund of $50,000 for the purpose of 

 game law enforcement. 



Who would object to the payment of a 

 gun license of 50 cents, for the purpose of 

 checking the slaughter of innocent birds 

 and animals? Who would object to con- 

 tributing 50 cents toward a fund to suppress 

 these irresponsible foreigners and pot 

 hunters? I do not believe there are a dozen 

 respectable farmers or laborers, no matter 

 how poor, in the State of Michigan or in 

 any other State, who would not willingly 

 pay such a sum for such a noble purpose. 

 Certainly no sportsman would object to 

 doing so. 



HOW TO PROTECT GAME. 



Last fall I was handed a copy of Recre- 

 ation and after reading it I subscribed. I 

 think it the best monthly published. I like 

 the way you roast the game hog Some- 

 thing ought to be done here to protect 

 game. Ten years ago one could go to any 

 point North of Middletown, N. Y., and get 

 all the game he wanted, in a short time. 

 Now game is getting scarce. In every 

 town there are one or 2 market hunters who 

 do nothing in fall but hunt, and ship their 

 game to market. We elect game protectors, 

 or constables, but never hear of an arrest. 

 Wurtsboro. Ellenville and Fallsburgh, N. 

 Y. are noted for grouse and woodcock 

 shooting; but the woods, in fall, are full of 

 snares. I suppose any one knowing of 

 these should complain to proper authori- 

 ties. I have put several officers on the right 



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