Jan. 2 r, ign.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
97 
Massachusetts Fish and Game. 
Boston, Mass., Jan. 14. — Editor Forest and 
Stream: The executive committee decided that 
the annual dinner should be held this year, Jan. 
11, and that the Governor, the Speaker of the 
House and the President of the Senate be 
invited as guests of the association. The ban¬ 
quet was held at the Copley Square Hotel, the 
home of the association for many years. It was 
at this house that the convention of game pro¬ 
tectors assembled in 1899 in response to an in¬ 
vitation from the State association, the most not¬ 
able gathering of its kind ever held in the State. 
The result of this meeting was the organization 
of the Massachusetts Central Committee for the 
protection of game and fish, to whose efforts 
is due the most important legislation on our 
statute books—the prohibition of the sale of 
woodcock and ruffed grouse. For the details 
connected with these important events I refer 
your readers to the columns of Forest and 
Stream. 
At the annual business meeting, held at 5130 
p. M., President Charles presided. The fund 
committee, the committee on the Ivers Whitney 
Adams fund, the treasurer and the secretary sub¬ 
mitted their annual reports, all of which were 
duly accepted. These reports showed that the 
receipts for the year exceeded the expenditures 
by more than one hundred dollars, and that the 
life membership and reserve funds had not been 
drawn upon beyond the accrued interest. 
1 he following officers were unanimously 
elected: President, Salem D. Charles; Vice- 
Presidents, George W. Wiggin, James R. Reed, 
William S. Hintnan, Homer L. Bigelow, Alpheus 
R. Brown, Francis B. Crowninshield, B. Varnum 
How, Gardner M. Lane, Frank E. Peabody, Dud¬ 
ley L. Pickman, Maurice H. Richardson, Charles 
E. Stratton, Nathaniel C. Nash, Joseph T. Her¬ 
rick, Adelbert D. Thayer, Stephen M. Weld, 
John S. Ames, Heber Bishop, A. George Bul¬ 
lock, Frank Fallon, Henry Hornblower, A. B. 
F. Kinney, William A. Morse, Charles H. 
Nowell, George M. Poland, W. C. Woodward, 
William Minot; Librarian, Edward W. Brani- 
gan, Treasurer, Rollin Jones; Secretary, Henry 
H. Kimball; Fund Committee, George W. Wig- 
gin, Ivers S. Adams, George M. Poland; Com¬ 
mittee on Adams Fund, Ivers S. Adams, Heber 
Bishop, George W. Wiggin; Membership Com¬ 
mittee, Thomas H. Hall, Richard V. Joyce, Jas. 
H. Bowditch; Executive Committee, Salem D. 
Charles, ex-officio; George W. Wiggin, Ivers W. 
Adams, Wm. P. Wharton, Charles M. Bryant, 
Heber Bishop, M. A. Morris, Alpheus R. Brown, 
Rollin Jones, George B. Clark, Charles S. Bird’ 
Henry H. Kimball, ex-officio. 
After the election of officers it was moved 
that the association oppose any attempt to re¬ 
peal the present law providing an open season 
for deer in the five western counties. The 
motion by a large vote was referred to a future 
meeting, the members evidently regarding the 
question as of too much importance to be acted 
upon without due deliberation and a full dis¬ 
cussion. A feeling is entertained by some of 
our members that the whole subject of deer 
legislation needs thorough overhauling. Among 
those who have studied the situation there is a 
strong opposition to the present farmers’ law 
Blowing the slaughter of deer in the breeding 
reason. 
This seems a barbarous method of getting rid 
of the beautiful creatures, even if they are, as 
some claim, a nuisance. So far as the five west¬ 
ern counties are concerned, local option should 
prevail as regards an open season. 
At 7 o clock the members and guests, about 
one hundred in number, gathered about the 
tables, President Charles acting as master of 
ceremonies. At the head table were the presi¬ 
dent of the Senate, Allen T. Treadway; Dr. 
George W. Field, chairman of the State Com¬ 
mission on Fisheries and Game; Hon. George 
W. Wiggin and James R. Reed, former presi¬ 
dents of the association; Ivers W. Adams and 
A. B. F. Kinney, George B. Clark, Dr. Heber 
Bishop and others. Dr. A. R. Brown led the 
singing which was quite a feature of the evening. 
Mi. Treadway, the first speaker, expressed the 
opinion that government of State affairs as con¬ 
ducted in Massachusetts by commissions was cor¬ 
rect in principle, provided appointments are made 
on the sole ground of efficiency for public service 
and not as political rewards. “I think,” he said, 
“where commissions are not required to pass on 
matters in a judicial manner, as good service 
can be performed by one commissioner as by 
several.” He declared that he would not be in 
favor of curtailing the commission form in State 
administration beyond the point where it can be 
shown that it has lacked in business methods or 
in efficiency. He spoke very decidedly in oppo¬ 
sition to the open season for deer, declaring that 
it had not been satisfactory in Berkshire county, 
where the sentiment is almost unanimous for its 
repeal. He expressed the hope that the senti¬ 
ment of the association would be the same. 
He stated that during the open season of six 
days there were killed 1,312 deer, and by the 
farmers 327. and that 101 were wounded, mak¬ 
ing a total of almost 1,700. “On what ground,” 
he asked, “can we justify the butchery of such 
a number of those beautiful animals?” 
The Senator urged the support of the associa¬ 
tion in the work of reforestation. 
George B. Clark, of Boston, gave a glowing 
account of his recent hunting trip in the region 
of the headwaters of the Nepisiguit River, New 
Bi unswick, after which he showed several fine 
pictures on the screen depicting the scenery and 
the immense herds of caribou that he saw on 
the barrens as well as the superb trophies which 
he obtained on the trip. Mr. Clark’s part was 
a feature of the evening. 
In the South. 
New Orleans, La., Jan. 14 .—Editor Forest and 
Stream: Harry Whitney, F. M. Carnegie, a 
nephew of Andrew Carnegie, and A. C. C. Sage 
are in Ripley, Miss. They will hunt big game 
in Mississippi for some time and will probably 
attend the Mardi Gras festivities here in Febru¬ 
ary. Mr. Whitney announced his determination 
to seek the South pole, starting on his jour¬ 
ney in July or August of this year. He will take 
with him as one member of his party Captain 
Bartlett who was with Peary when he discovered 
the North pole. Mr. Whitney says he will not 
take the route chosen by Lieutenant Shackleton 
and his party of Britishers. He has not per¬ 
fected his plans and will not do so for some 
time or until he returns to New York. Mr. 
Whitney has frequently visited New Orleans and 
is well known here. He has relatives residing 
in this city and is a member of some of the 
clubs here. 
The State Game Commissioner has received a 
report from the warden in St. Charles parish to 
the effect that fifty-three deer were killed dur¬ 
ing the season which closed Jan. 1. Commis¬ 
sioner Miller thinks the reports when received 
will show that more deer were killed this sea¬ 
son in Louisiana than last season. The season 
closes on different dates in the several parishes, 
some of them running as late as Feb. 1. Sev¬ 
eral deer have been taken by hunters in Orleans 
parish in which the city of New Orleans is 
located. The records or statistics are awaited 
with interest by the hunters. Quail have been 
more plentiful than for some years. A number 
of wild turkeys have been killed, but it is doubt¬ 
ful if the record will show a very large increase 
over last season. Ducks, geese and brant have 
been abundant, but the 'season as a whole has 
not been favorable for hunting them. Many 
visitors from the North and East are arriving 
here now and many will remain for Mardi Gras. 
F. G. G. 
Among the bills that have been introduced in 
the Legislature is one presented by Senator Tol- 
man, providing that deputy fish and game com¬ 
missioners shall be game wardens, their pay for 
the first year to be $50 per month, to be increased 
by the addition of $150 annually until a maxi¬ 
mum salary of $1,500 per annum is reached. 
T he deputies who bring to the service proper 
qualifications and give the work the best that 
is in them no doubt earn at least $1,500 yearly, 
but there is a question now being considered by 
many intelligent sportsmen, viz.: how can the 
present warden system be improved? 
It has been suggested that each county have 
a chief, the larger ones two or three, with one 
or more sub wardens in every town serving at 
critical seasons for pay. With fifteen to twenty 
towns to care for as now, the work must of 
necessity- be spread out very thin. 
Henry H. Kimball. 
Long Islanders for Spring Shooting. 
Albany, N. Y., Jan. 17.— Editor Forest and 
St> earn. Senator Long and Assemblyman 
Shields have introduced in the Legislature a bill 
amending the forest, fish and game law by chang¬ 
ing the open season for ducks, geese, brant and 
swan on Long Island so that it shall extend from 
Oct. 1 to April 1, instead of from Oct. 1 to Jan. 
1, as at present. T he bill also extends to April 
15 the time within which such wildfowl may be 
possessed. The present law makes such pos¬ 
session unlawful after Jan. 15. 
Assemblyman Evans has introduced two game 
bills. One prohibits the hunting of hares and 
rabbits with ferrets in Sullivan county, and 
makes the possession of ferrets in that county 
presumptive evidence of their illegal use; the 
other bill prohibits the hunting of hares with 
ferrets, and makes the possession of ferrets 
presumptive evidence of their illegal use. 
E. C. C. 
Because of ill health, Professor Edward B. 
Voorhees, of New Brunswick, has resigned from 
the New Jersey Forest Park Reservation Com¬ 
mission, and Governor Fort has appointed as his 
successor William W. Smalley, of Somerset 
county. 
