Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 July 1910 — VISITS RENSSELAER. [ARTICLE]

VISITS RENSSELAER.

State Fish and Game Commissioner Investigates Shooting By Deputy Gallion. State Commi>sio,ner of Fisheries ami Game Miles was in Rensselaer Tuesday afternoon investigating the trouble in which Deputies Donley and Gallion became involved week with Janies Haines of Mil-’ roy tp. Mr. Miles is of the opinion after going into the matter that Uhe deputies made a botch of it and exceeded their authority, and of course does not sanction such proceedings. He asked Gallion for his resignation and will endeavor to secure a good man in his place. It is Mr. Miles’ aim to create a different sentiment toward our fish and game laws than that now (held in some parts of the state, including our own section. He thinks by weeding out of some of the more undesirable deputies and being careful to punish only the wilful violators - tlie pirates, if you phase—that a more wholesome . respect- for the law will be felt in such communities. He does not believe in tihe arrest and prosecution of every man who Unwittingly commits some little Breach of these laws, but believes that with the proper education of the people as to tlie intents and purposes of the law they will respect it and assist in punishing those who knowing and wantonly violate its provisions. The latter class

are entitled to no sympathy and must be taught that the wanton destruction game and fisfh must cease or they will be punished. Our fish and game laws are intended fpr the protection of fish and game, and not to gratify any personal enmity or haul up in court every person who may some time, through ignorance of its provisions, be technically guilty of some violation thereof, and he would much rather there would be no arrests and prosecutions and have the law respected than to have tihe fine fund enriched from such sources. The citizen who aims to respect and obey the law does not feel very good toward it if he is arrested, fined and humiliated for some slight technical violation which he had no intention of committing, and while Mr. Miles does not intend that the fish and game pirates shall be permitted to wilfully ply tfheir avocation,'" he wants it understood that he is not in sympathy with any prosecution of an innocent man nor the spying upon the average citizen in an effort to prosecute him for some slight technical offense. In the Milroy tp., case Haines, from all reports, is a bad citizen, but the deputies were scarcely justified in taking shots at him when they did not catch him committing a violation and had no warrant for his arrest. Mr. Miles has given considerable attention to fish and game in his locality for a number of years, and has seen to it that only good clean men were appointed as deputies. As a result there is no bad feeling between the. people and the wardens, the laws are respected and such a thing as an arrest and prosecution is now almost unknown. Mr. Miles is a man of high intelligence, a thorough gentleman, and has the right ideas about the enforcement of the* fish and game laws. We believe he will make the office of Fish and Game Commissioner more popular with the people than it ha- ever been heretofore. He made a very favorable impression here upon all who had the pleasure of meeting hirni and we are convinced that Governor Marshall made no mistake in appointing him to this office