Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-06-07
The Lacey Bird Bill.

! sSx HF EH ~G
The appended communication from
| G. o. Shields, president of the League
of American Sportsmen, will interest
every sportsman and every intelligent
| farmer in the country:
The most important measure ever
| introduced in congress in the interest
| of game and bird protection passed the
| senate unanimously on the 18th inst
1t had previously passed the house with
| only % negative votes. 1 refer to what
is known as the Lacey bird bill. This
was introduced in the house by John
F. Lacey Of Iowa early in the session
and he has worked like a Trojan for it
ever since. This league has also dore
sCalWart work in the interest of the
measure. Our 5000 members, distribut-
ed throughout the entire United States,
have written and caused to be written
thousands Of letters to the members of
the house and the senate, implOring
them to support the bill. Furthermore
our members have caused thousands OF
business men and farmers to write
similar letters. 1t is safe to say that
no measure introduced in congress in
the last 10 years has created so much
popular interest all over the country,
or has caused so great a flood of petit
tons from the people as the Lacey bill
has. 1t is entirely conservative to esti-
mate that more than 10000 letters have |
been delivered in the capitol building |
within the past four months, praying |
for the success of Laceys bill.
And the peoples representatives have |
responded nobly. The millinery inter |
ests made a desperate fight against the |
measure, but we have won a glorious |
victory over them, and the result will |
soon be seen in a rapid increase in |
birds and game animals throughout the !
whole country.
No more shipping of prairie chickens |
from Minnesota to Chicago or New |
York, labeled poultry" No more |
shipping of venison from Wisconsin or
Michigan to Chicago or New York |
labeled veal or mutton" no more |
shipping of quaiIs from Kansas, Texas, |
Oklahoma or the Indian Territory to
Chicago, New York, Boston or Phila- |
delphia labeled eggs or anything
else.
No more shipping of bird skins from
Florida, Alabama, Louisiana or any
other state to New York or elsewhere
labeled anything else than what they
really are.
No more contracting for 10000 birds
to be slaughtered in Maryland, to be
shipped to New York; no more slaugh-
tering of sea gulls on the New England
coast or elsewhere, in violation of the
laws of any state, and shipping them to
millinery bird hogs in New York no
matter how labeled.
Here are the provisions of the bill:
The first section enlarges the duties
and power Of the Agricultural Depart
ment to the preservation, distribution,
introduction and restoration of game
birds and other wild birds. or their
eggs, as may be required therefor, to
propagate and distribute them over de-
pleted areas where it may be possible
for such birds to exist and thrive. Fo
instance prairie chickens may be i'm
ported from Nebraska and liberated in
the Shenandoah valley in Virginia,
where it is believed they would pros
per. The department would, in all
such cases, prescribe rules prohibiting
the killing of such birds from to 10
years, and the mere fact that the birds
belong to Uncle Sam would inspire ev
cry man and boy with a wholesome re-
spect for them. 1t is well known fact
that where game birds are liberated by
wealthy clubs many farmers boys take
fendish delight in killing them off,
but not so with birds known to be gov
eminent wards.
The second section of the Lacey bill
prohibits the importation into the
United States of any foreign wild ami
| NAL or birds, except under special per-
| nit from the department of agricul
ture. Special prohibition is laid upon
| the mongoose, the flying foxes. the
startling, and other wild birds known TO
| be injurious to agriculture and horti-
| culture. If we mad had such a law as
! this 80 years ago the English sparrow
would not today have been a public
| nuisance to the whole country.
| The third section of the Lacey bill
| prohibits any common carrier from