Page 385 - Our Vanishing Wild Life

PRIVATE GAMIi PRESERVES 363
EGRETS AND HERONS IN SANCTUARY ON MARSH ISLAND
slaughter-ground for wild j^^ame, either Ijirds or mammals, may become detrimental to the interests of the people at large.
2. Itisnotneeessarilythedutyofanystatetoprovideforthemain- tenance of private death-traps for the wholesale slaughter of migratory game.
3. x'\n oppressive monopoly in the slaughter of migratory game is detrimental to the interests of the public at large, the same as any other mono])oly.
4. Every de facto game preserve, maintained for the preservation of wild life rather than for its slaughter, is an institution beneficial to the public at large, and therefore entitled to legal rights and privileges above and beyond all which may rightly be accorded to the so-called "pre- serves" that are maintained as killing-grounds.
5. Thelawmayjustlydiscriminatebetweentheactualgamejjreserve and the mere killing-ground.
6. Whenever a killing-ground becoines a public burden, it may be abated, the same as any other public infliction.
In private game preserves the time has arrived wlien lawmakers and judges must begin to apjjly the blood-test, and separate the true from the false. And at every step, the welfare of the icild life involved must be givenfullconsideration. Nomen,norbodyofmen,shouldbepermitted to i)ractice methods that spell extermination.