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i W. H. WELCH REPLIES TO J. B. C. Defends the Closed Season in ^ Williamsburg County Mr. Editor: With your permission, jl I, as a member of the Williamsburg County Delegation, will reply to the letter signed "J. B. C." published in your paper last week, attacking the new fish law, regulating the catching of fish in Wiliamsburg County. For the information of the public, 1 will statfe that this law was not passed during the 1920 session of the Leggislature, as many people thLik, but during the 1919 session, and the reason it was not called to the atcntion ?9 !,? nnliliA latrf mo, it- Hup fn thn VI UiU [/UVUV tuov J VUi +KJ UMV W VMV fact that when the Chief Game Warden asked for all the laws concerning game and fish enacted during the 1919 session, this act was overlooked, and consequently, Mr. Moseley, the Couney Game Warden knew nothing about it, nor the public informed. This Act was introduced and passed before the general Act relating to the catching and killing of game and fish was introrduced, and since . the county game warden was not informed of the local Act by the Chief Game Warden, the writer took the position that the Chief Game Warden considered this Act superseded or an***^ 'J MA'MAwrkl A /if A nfinff nn K OUUCU uy hue (CWIOI nkh nvtiuj vu Jm this presumption, we took the mater ^ up with AUftey-Ccnuai Wolfe in an unofficial manner, and he advised that in his opinion the local Act was not annulled, and that it was not unconsgtutioal. By reference to the Chief feme Warden's letter to Mr. Mosctey, *ted June 7th, 1920, and published in fee last issue at The County Record, yeu will find that he also holds the opinion that it is constitutional. * 'In passing this bill the County Deleffttien wan*a desire to preserve our came fish during spaunjpg season. In the writer's opinion, it is just as much an evil to take the feh from its bed during the spanning season as it is to kill a hen from he. nest when she is setting on eggs, or for one to kill a deer when she is nursing her young. The law as it stood prior to 1919, was that you oould not catch fish by pegging, short fine or similar devices, which is the same as saying yew can hill the setting hen, or the mother doe, but it must not be done by certain methods. What we want and need is absolute i protection ox our game nun uvrmg bedding season, and the genuine sportsman is in favor of giving them absolute protection during such times, in order that their numbers may be |A I This is V I I Kut a display a f| also look well I before entrustinj We have with a large capi merit it, and yoi We pay 3 placed with us u The KINGSTREE * Htl??? 4 : *4 ' greatly increased for future years and j for future generations. It has been stated by some that it i ought to apply to the State as a ! whole, and not to Williamsburg alone. I agree that it ought to be state wide, , but since the State, as a whole, is not ,i erested in a closed season, I feel that is is old Williamsburg's duty to :set the pace, and others will be sure i to follow. It's a good thing. You I can't deny it, and it ought to be ienforced. | Others have stated that the Act is ' objectionable because in every freshj et the fish go up stream and in this I \rrr%\r tinll Ko iKiicmff "ficVl fnr riar " **J n C Hill Wt A UiOiUg *V* -W-W? ; endon County. It is true that fish usually go up stream at such times I but we are informed by men who do much fishing that as the waters recede so do the fish. Even if this argument were true, with no closed season in Williamsburg County, don't you believe that more fish would find | their way into Clarendon, Sumter, Lee and Florence counties by way of automobiles and other vehicles than would if left alone, go up the river into Clarendon County Black River, for instance, is famed in South Carolina for its game fish and every reader of this article, I presume, knows that during the summer, and especially during spauning season people flock here from all the near-by counties, and so deplete cur streams that it is appalling how scarce good fish are becoming. If we want our public streams to have fish for future generations it is high time we make some effort to preserve them. Gentle reader, let's throw aside out selfishness a few minutes and reason for ourselves whether or net it Is necessary for us to sacrifice a few honrs of pleasure angling in order that our children and their,children -may jenjoy j the'tame apart* at some fuUre tine, j I have not looked into the laws of the itiffuant a-totoc tn oaA UtkrtlMT tKfV have elated seasons, hn* it is a tact j that Caaaula, in maay tactions wbtrt fishing is a great sport, has closed seasons for the protection of game fish. This applies to deep as wil as shallow water, lakes and streams. If we see that this law is observed, we shall soon see the results. The fish will become more plentiful. Conditions on our forms and in our stores j and other places will become more prosperous. Labor will not be 30 apt to idle away day after day upon the banks of our streams catching a few fish, when by an hour or two's work they would be able to purchase enough food to do some good. By reference further to the letter PR< not a sue bustin' p d for discriminating into their resources g their savings and s passed the nineteen ital and a big surplus 1 sleep well and rest ^ou 5 per cent. Inter p to July 15th will b Bai * I 1SMM? ;i. . <* signed J. B. #, I wish to advise thai if a petition was circulated asking fed a closed season in Williamsburg Gounseen it It is true, however, that i"vadvised that in their opinions such J ty, the writer does not recall having seen it It is true, however, that several sportsmen interested in fishing advised that in their opinion such a law was needed, and, after carerfu] consideration of such a need, I exercised the best judgment of which I am capable and supported the bill which was also supported by Senator Hugh McCutchen. Mr. "J. B. C." stated that the law prior to 1919 was well observed, there being no traps whatever, and netting an exception. I suppose he intended to include pegging, tickling, short line and other illegal methods. The ' gentleman evidently lacks information ; along this line. I need not bring any I proofs to show this to be the case, for ! it is generally conceded that this law is very often broken. I am certain we have the law breakers in and around Kingstree and I presume they are to be found also in other sections of the county. I wish to advise that whether this Act of 1919 is constitu1 tional of not it is a law until declared otherwise by the Supreme Court of I South Carolina, and let us, as lawJ abiding citizens having the best in: terests of the county at heart, obey the htw as long as it is law, whethei we believe it to be a good law or not. The nan who obeys the law whether it meets his approval or not is a good citizen, and I would rather be branded a law-abiding citizen than to take the law in my own hands. W. H. WELCH. ? 1 'O' The Road Hog Friends have you<ever eone ineen| tact with a road hog? The automobile hog? He is more of a hog than Ithe real article. He comes dashing | along and does not want to give anybody rise a fart of the road. If there is mod and shish in the road he will go whizzing by you splashing mud in your faoe and all over the aide and on tho cushions of yoer nicely cleaned vehicle. They call him a man but he does not belong in the human class, this inconsiderate brute. He will run up behind your car and blow and blow his screechy horn to show off and then '? ' n. Will noi pOdS you. <10 fays uvuuug towards keeping up the road and yet he wishes and tries to monopolize it If it was not for the fear that he would get his worthless neck broken he would dash into your car and kill every member of your family and you DPC ker proposition is it th< | people and others w , earning capacity ar urplus funds. th year mark of our i and profit fund. \ easy once it is place est on your Saving ear interest as if pla< lk c t included and smash up your automor bile to boot The penitenitary is too good a place for the road hog. We' know of no place low enough for him. i He is worse than the devil himself , for the old demon in all his wicked ne?s, sometimes shows politeness. ; There is no law with a penalty severe i enough for the monster, the road hog, [ but we woudl like to see our legisla ture and our congress pass one that i would deal with him effectively.? i Hartsville Mesesnger. i _ |A.M. SNIDER i Surgeon Dentist j ' Railroad Ave.. KINGSTREE i Full upper and Lower set $22.50. I , Gold crowns $7.00. Bridges $7.00 per ] . tooth. Extracting 501 per tooth or 4 J . for $1.00. No charge for extracting I for bride or plate. Extracting free j for children or persons over 70 years j , of age. i j 666 has more imitations than any j I other Chili and Fever Tonic on the j j [ market, but no one wants imitations, j I ' They are dangerous things in the j j medicine line. I Bricks! We km 6000 Bridh mill W# are sffoiag $2.00 par Have your jOats Irromi Hie Wlaim KINGSTREE, kjVi* ?JQIJUOLK^VOAJOwvvqaaIO. SIT i nor e propositi of a ho favor not only effic id immediate managen corporate existence; A^e have the experienc d with us. Deposits, computed < ced on deposit July 1st >f K \ m m x SATURDAY, , WILL BE THE NEXT Optometrist an who is a Special Represented Optical Company, G He Will Be WitTlls Oik See him on above date if you ne< We personally guarantee his wc faction or your money back. Remember, he can examine yoi just as well on a rainy day as a i or shine. DR. W. G. C Bricks!! , , > s good as icw, 4og fi beds, going at $25.00. toM for Cora ?the dock and Wheat THR1 it Service Guar ante iburg liberty M soun TXftf 00?f0070007 r ri/>ft*i>'>'MV*^^^''g?0007<T03000?0007P001 IOP I on busted ient service from bar lent, as well as their are prosperous anc ? u. e ana wain yuui ui ivery three months, the beginning of th ingst SOUTH C JUNE 26th | VISIT OF OUR d Optician ve of Brown-Wittkamp I reenville, S. C. [ EPIECE^ ! Day Only, June 26 ?d optical work of any kind. . >rk to give you entire satisur eyes and fit your glasses sunshiny one, so come rain 6-17-2t i 1 AMBLE BricksS! I m the oH oil I delivered at oar plait 8 :ASHED here. 1 ed. ? ing Co., I H CAROLINA 1 i?f.? i i I' sucker 1 iks. but who gg Directorate, I I progressive, ?. isiness. We Any funds lis quarter. J ree AROLINA J 4k