938 
FOREST AND STREAM 
[Dec. 30, 1911. 
Long Island Game Protective 
Association. 
The annual report of Ottomar H. Van 
Norden, president of the Long Island Game 
Protective Association, is a model one, and a 
copy should be in the hands of every good 
sportsman. 
In reviewing the year’s work the president 
calls attention to the effect on illegal practices 
on Long Island waters of the presence there of 
the Conservation Commission’s large power boat 
Olive. The association assisted materially at 
Albany in fighting the spring shooting interests 
and the milliners, and in securing the passage 
of the Bayne no-sale law. The enforcement of 
this law will, Mr. Van Norden believes, result 
in an increase of game in the State, and at the 
same time encourage and build up a breeding 
industry. 
In the past the inefficiency of the wardens on 
Long Island and their seeming inability to prop¬ 
erly enforce the game laws there was the cause 
of many complaints and much discouragement 
to nature lovers and sportsmen. The cause for 
the conditions, says the report, were not far to 
seek. Appointments made for political reasons 
rather than for ability, lack of credit for duty 
well performed, lack of sufficient direction from 
headquarters, and perhaps as much as anything, 
a lack of the proper means of transportation, 
thereby leaving the wardens dependent on the 
unsympathetic and sometimes hosti'e local boat¬ 
men and liverymen. The new cruising boat al¬ 
ready spoken of in this report has now solved 
the question of water patrol, and it is hoped the 
department will soon provide several fast motor 
cycles so that the wardens can effectively and 
quickly move from place to place on land. 
Bearing in mind past criticisms and failures, 
it is with great pleasure that we note the record 
made by the Metropolitan and Long Island divis¬ 
ion, of which Joseph V. Sauter is chief, for the 
year ending Sept. 30, 1911. During that period 
300 cases were prosecuted, resulting in 210 con¬ 
victions, 52 cases dismissed by former Com¬ 
missioner Hon. Thomas Mott Osborne, and the 
remainder still pending. The fines collected 
amounted to $8,300.42. During this period the 
sale of canned game was stopped in New York 
city. 
Already there has been instilled into the war¬ 
dens of the Long Island division an enthusiasm 
and a loyalty which shows a great contrast to 
the spirit of a short time ago, and the game 
laws to-day are respected on Long Island as 
they have never been respected before. 
This does not mean by any means that con¬ 
ditions are ideal. There is still a great deal to 
he accomplished, largely by the education of a 
local element, which believe that they have a 
constitutional right to kill game at any and all 
times. There is still much to be desired in the 
matter of the organization of the department, 
but this we believe is being rapidly improved. 
Looking at matters from all points we find that 
a most satisfactory advance in . law observance 
and law enforcement has been brought about 
during the past year, and we believe that a large 
part of the credit for the work accomplished 
belongs to this organization. 
We plan for 1912 to continue the work of 1911 
and on the same lines. We shall maintain our 
present close relations with the other active clubs 
of the State, and endeavor to keep in the closest 
touch with the legislative situation at Albany 
and the administration of the Department of 
Fish and Game on Long Island. The following 
program for 1912 was adopted at the annual 
meeting: 
1. We will oppose such proposed legislation 
as in the opinion of our directors seems inimical 
to the principles and platform of this association. 
2. We will oppose any effort to extend the 
open season for wildfowl on Long Island. 
3. We are in favor of a uniform State game 
law. 
4. We are in favor of legislation which will 
give more encouragement to the small breeders 
of game. 
5. We are in favor of legislation placing a 
bag limit on wildfowl. 
6. We are in favor of Federal legislation pro¬ 
viding for the protection of migratory birds and 
will co-operate with any movement looking to 
such legislation. 
7. We will co-operate with the State Depart¬ 
ment of Fish and Game, to the end that the 
game laws on Long Island may be enforced. A 
prompt notification to the officers of this asso¬ 
ciation by its members or others, of violations 
of the law, laxity or inefficiency of wardens in 
the performance of their duty, giving full de¬ 
tails in every instance, will be of great assist¬ 
ance to us in this work. 
8. We will co-operate with other State or¬ 
ganizations that the following reforms may be 
brought about in the department: 
(a) Absolute elimination of local politics in 
appointments of protectors and the enforcement 
of the law. 
(b) Division of the force of wardens into 
grades, with salaries at a minimum of $900 and 
a maximum of $1,500 a year. 
(c) Promotions to be made for ability and 
meritorious service, and after twenty-five years 
of such service, retirement on a half pay pension. 
9. The salt water fisheries of Long Island 
can be greatly improved and protected by a 
proper State supervision and regulation. At the 
same time revenue can be raised for the State 
by their equitable taxation. Under this head we 
will do well to consider carefully the following 
questions: 
(a) The regulation of pound nets and fish 
traps. 
(b) Protection of the inlets to the great bays. 
(c) The equitable taxation of the fisheries. 
In conclusion the report says that co-operation 
is what we need in order to effectively carry out 
this work. An association of this character 
when supported by the nature lovers and sports¬ 
men in its community, and when working in 
close harmony with allied organizations, can ac¬ 
complish great results. These results come not 
only through inter-club co-operative action, but 
also through the ability of each organization to 
keep its members closely informed of the pro¬ 
gress of events, so that the members themselves 
can work directly and personally on their repre¬ 
sentatives and the governor, and for these rea¬ 
sons we believe this association has a great 
opportunity to accomplish important results in 
the interests of the preservation of wild life on 
Long Island. 
Game Preserves. 
Bennington, Vt., Dec. 24.— Editor Forest and 
Stream: The American Game Protective and 
Propagation Association has called attention to 
a very important subject in the little pamphlet 
recently issued by it. ■ It is the subject of pri¬ 
vate preserves, and for one I rejoice to learn 
that the association will take the public's side 
upon that question. The issue of private pre¬ 
serves has never been much discussed in print 
of late years, and almost all that has been pub¬ 
lished upon the subject has simply argued from 
one side—that of the preserve owner. 
Now, as a matter of fact, I have been attempt¬ 
ing to arouse public sentiment on this issue for 
nearly twenty years. Over fifteen years ago I 
said the question was like Banquo's ghost, and 
would not ‘‘down at our bidding.” It has got 
to be faced, and that soon, if more effort is not 
made by the public to preserve the game in this 
country. The writer considers the subject a 
growing menace to the cause of game protection 
by the States. Among other things the associa¬ 
tion pamphlet says: "It (the association) does 
not believe in the principle that only men of 
position and wealth should have the privilege of 
taking game with the gun. It believes that the 
average citizen and the poor man should have 
their opportunity. These men must get their 
hunting close at hand or not at all. Without the 
benefit of game laws their opportunity for rec¬ 
reation of this character would long ago have 
disappeared. Their only hope for the future lies 
in the same direction; in effective, well-admin¬ 
istered, protective laws, and in laws encouraging 
game propagation along lines which shall be for 
the benefit of all sportsmen.” To this doctrine 
we give our most unqualified approval, and ad¬ 
mire the association for the real courage it took 
to enunciate it. It is the best thing that has been 
uttered for some time and will meet the approval 
of the entire country. 
In my judgment private game preserves are 
contrary to the very spirit of our American in¬ 
stitutions. I am personally opposed to them— 
either large or small ones—and always have been 
on principle. There is an attempt in certain quar¬ 
ters now being made to foist the English idea of 
game protection upon this country. Those ad¬ 
vocating this plan claim that their creed is: 
“More game and less law.” Of course, this 
sounds well in print, but can anyone who under¬ 
stands our system of game protection conceive 
of a more absurd theory? What do they mean 
in effect by this creed? Nothing at all, unless 
it means the European method instead of the 
American kind. 
Let us see, what is that plan? It originated 
in England on the theory that game is the prop¬ 
erty of the sovereign, and the crown originally 
granted the privilege of hunting and killing game 
only to property owners of the aristocratic class. 
This class owned all the land within the king¬ 
dom. They engaged game keepers and propa¬ 
gated game for their own exclusive use, pleasure 
and profit. Game laws consisted entirely of 
measures to protect this class from poachers on 
their preserves. The practical protection of game 
was left to the discretion of the preserve own¬ 
ers, and laws were enacted solely for the pur¬ 
pose of insuring to them their exclusive privi¬ 
lege. Formerly these statutes were exceedingly 
drastic in their provisions, and poaching was 
