SPORTSMEN'S CONFERENCE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13645, 13 July 1908, Page 4

SPORTSMEN'S CONFERENCE.

The annual conference ,of delegates .from the, Acclimatisation . Societies is to' take place'at Wellington on Wednesday next, and ; as usual a - good many, remit*- :of ,imp6rtahco to sportsmen' are to come .up for consideration. These remits .were before- the South .Canterbury,;. Society . .on' ; Thursday last,, and relate to animals protection: and 'fisheries conservation." The Acts, which govern ' these have of late years covered a good deal of ground, and the societies affected by them have on the whole done ,excellent, work; matter for regret that the local ■ Society Anil, hot be directly represented-ttia conference, Mr F. Palliser, who had for years been an attentive (Jelegate, not .now being on the Co'uncil. Of tlie do?,en .remits affecting anima'fi, one of the most

important is tihat relating to gnu licenses, lhis- is known among. sportsmen as tha "hardy, animal," in flint it is mentioned •yearaf 1ei;.,.-year, but- never finds favour •with the Colonial Secretory. .-'-I'Jt-i »• •*!»» year, however, likely to find much favour among. the, delegatus, as they , that. guns, are too froely used hoth. in'anil out of; season,, and that. ,if, Uie -rapid '.decrease of game i* to. In* must- bo. licensed./ A strong case* is likely to ho made out at the'conference, ami there, is, t)\at» ityth an unanimous . . .recommends lion,. t he man or boy ;,vliQ : goes qut. to,, kill. .something in any idle hour, the 'Cabinet will

see. that, the time has. arrived to put m

stop to k promiscuous killing.' Two or three of (ho other remit!? dea) with deerstalking, so far.sjs accost*! runs.or hills

if .concerned. Willi-. 4eer- the. societies haye all been very successful, on cotintry wh;ch is principally under pastoral lease. The right of entry is, therefore, important to duly licensed deer stoikers, ami though iho . conference may not be inclined to insist that a clause may be inserted' in

future licenses of ~hill country recognising this right, we are sure that a provision can bo agreed to thereby pasloralisti? omt stalkers will amicably meet each ' otJier. Though the 'Sbuth/Canterbury were averse , to short period lioe t ns.esj remit comes from the Auckland ■ Society,. !■■ in ivhose district, the visils of tourist's are numerous, and it has a good deal to' recommend it. • Such- licenses, are verypopular in the Old Country., Tlie conference might well jgive them a trial,-fftr they meet, not only tdie case'of' the tourist, but that of the colonial who' at Christma* or .-Easter gets a .few -days' vacation. An regards the remits relating fo (ho fisheries, some amendment; of; the present regulations relating, to netting at (he mnutljs of,rivers is not likely,to meet with favour. All that is advisable is to prevent, the killing of acclimatised fish on open beaches such as prevail at Timaru, in the''direction t|iat tilio law \ be strictly complied with. At -present, with netting in ,tha close season, numbers of fish are illegally taken. As there are three . proposals -■ affecting netting, the subject is one that the conference will no doubt go.intri'iu detail; but it will have to benV fully' in mind, that it affects men who make their living by netting more than it does tlw|

comparative few that go on' f° r s P°rtAt previous -conferences "the delegates have taken a broad view of the societies' work, and at< the meeting this week they will no doubt proceed on lines that, generally speaking, have been for the benefit of The people as a whole.