GAME LAWS LEGISLATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14382, 27 November 1908, Page 5

GAME LAWS LEGISLATION.

Sib,—Now that the elections are' over I,should like to draw the attention of our newly-elected M.P.'s to the state of ouri game laws as passed by Parliament. Hares, practically tho only eport left, to working: men during Easter holidays, have been wrested from them, and a! further fax pub on them by way of that Is : por 100 duty on shot-gun cartridges. How many men in Dunedin are;aware that the season for th:r shooting of hares commences on. the Ist of May'; This is the doing of a. LiberalLabour Government. ' Moreover, n.',£l licence fee. is. njoeseary.,' I am'.quite;in ' sympathy with a game license,' but' it should tio one that would bo wifJiin. the reach of all. It' cannot he denied that there are areas in. Otago, such as Central' Otago, in which hares . arc - not■■ protected, and I cannot see why our Labour members could not have seen that proper, allowance was made for Easter sportsmen when, the act was before them in the House, . It must be understood that all work and no play makes Jack a dull'boy, and it is very essential that sport should! be catered for. in a proper manner by (our, Government. Tho workers, who havo.tb pay for everybhing, havo a perfect right to see that they are catered, for. Let. me show what we v pay for oiir little-, bit of sport; On every gun. wo import' thi workin« man has to pay one-quarter of its Value to tho Customs; for every iOO rounds of ammunition ho has to pay 2s 6d to the Customs. What has our Government given, us in return for our money? It lias passed laws which are tempering to any legitimate sportsman; it has epoilt our Easter shooting of hares, for if w« have them in our possession, before the Ist of May or eight days after the .season closes we are liable to a heavy fine; it has given rangers, the fall powers of constables, and power to prosecute whom they may catch on'private! property in quest of game, providing thej are in possession, of a< gun or have hound's with them. All this comes from a LiberalLabour policy, and I think the time has arrived when the worker should demand • redress. If we are to "pay, pay," we want something for it. We have a perfect right to expect fair, straight-out treatment, ■ and also that there should be an introduction of more game with part of our money, or, better still,' let the various Acclimatisation Societies have a fair percentage of it, and allow these societies ,to spread game about. Now that. Messrs Millar, Sidey, Arnold, and their brother M.P.'s ; are itaving a rest, J hope it'will be unnecessary to make any si>ccial appeal to thonj to see tiiat tho wording man am go . into Otogo Central d fa\g the Easter holidays Bn slioot times .vithout being in. fear of tie law.—l am, etc., ■ C-OBRESPOXDENT OF THE OTAGO GOS • Spobtsmen'h Association. ' hi, November 25. . •