GAME LICENSES.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 754, 17 April 1877, Page 3

GAME LICENSES.

Siß,^Ybar'ooiroßpbndent Breechloader's; oomplililit is very w^ll r fttunde^," and theT subject ia tine 'whioa should' e,Hsage i! the itn|ndiate attention of • all -lbyer^ i of the gun. Thert; ;ar6'inatfy ways, 6f phiecking tb^ unliobnsfed^laughter of game, Wt it appears tb me / that the root of tbe'evil lies ia the excessive charge demanded for, the nesessary permit." In such a ' po'cir' country as the Auckland proVibce a small, farmer or squatter' cannot afford to. pay tyro guineas for the privilege of snooting pheasants during a couple of months ; m. the year, batl have no 4bt\bt that;^ere are a gQod tna^y. who would willingly pay a guinea m pret'erenoo to breaking the law of their adopted country, for it is absurd to suppose that men m possession of a gun would* refrain from having a pop at the birds when they are gamboTing under his very no|e. ; i^ tl^e kitchen garden, ' and it. is surely better to seoure 'the payment of even a .very small license than to have them killed without one at all. But there are two methods of procedure which I think would meet the, exigences of the case, and especially apnly to whq mqke a business or killing and setting game, almost all civilised countries a license is now demanded from aU m possession of a gun— even m cou,qtvi§3 Hko Natal and %5 Sou^lj African Bopublics where a. gun is absolutely necessary as aweapqn of defence and a food obtainer — and I cannot 6ee why New-Zealand, where a gun can only be looked upon as an imt plement of sport, and therefore a luxury, should n,ot ndflp.% a similar plan... A §\\\n not exceeding ten shillings a yeir s,hould be demanded from the header of every gun — every gun to be stamped on the barrel, and the posapssar oi any gun found not to b,ent< the Govern me^\t stamp sho»Ud ha eubjecjed, to a fifti tiQt^ey^Bding.fjfS, In addition to this, those desiring the ptiv v ile»e of killing pheasants and other "game" should be riquiwd b ; ay an additional annual sum of ten shillings, thus making up the game license, to £1. But to preypnt ii»o itdissriminate slaughrey of game by those whose only i object ie gain by tUe sale, of the birds, it is indispensable that all dealers. \q game •—all people sdjjog, pheajmbs,": either, diregt-ly or through a salesman, m gidAter than a brace at a time— should be called upon to, pay -a "jiretty lipavy. annual license' say £5, and to enforc^, Ibia all salesmen shonld be. cft;ppelled to give a list qfyjpir.pcflisignera. ; this I thiak would pro>e a most effectual check, and one by w^iich justice would be meted to all-parties concerned, as it is well known that Auck* land pheasan,t9.,a.ro sont all over the colony, and the greater number must be li'leii by those who kill for sa'e, and who therefore must reap considerable profits. — I am, &c, Ngnroawohia. Impbi.