Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1900-06-07
The Lacey Bird Bill.

~ " " -
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 IS negative votes. ! refer to what
| is known as the Lacey Bird bill his
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 done
stalwart work in the interest OF the
measure. Our 5000 members, distrlbut-
| 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, implorlnS
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 50 great food 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 Lacey's 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 quails from Kansas, Texas,
| Oklahoma or the Indian Territory 10
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 gulIs 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 bin:
The first section enlarges the duties
and power OF the Agricultural Depart
ment 10 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 Il may be possible
for such birds to exist and thrive r.
instance prairie chickens may be i'm
ported i.OI Nebraska and liberated in
the Shenandoah valley in Virginia.
whore 1t is believed they would pros
per. The department would, in Oh
such cases, prescribe rules prohibiting
the killing of such birds from TO 10
years. and the mere fact that the birds
belong to Uncle SAN would inspire ev-
cry man and boy with a wholesome re-
spect for them II Is a well known fact
that where game birds are liberated by
wealthy clubs many farmers boys take
a iendsh delight in killing them of,
but not 50 with birds known to be gov
eminent wards
The second section Of the Lacey bill
prohibits the importation into the
Ia.ted States o. any foreign wild ami
nal or birds, except under special per
alb from the department Of agriaul
nro. Special prohibition Is laid upor
ho mongoose. the flying foxes. tht
tarling and other wild birds known 4
y Injurious 70 agriculture and hort
ulture. II re mad had such law
Ills 30 years ago the English sparros
vouid not today have been a publ.
alslnce 70 the whole country.
The third section OF the Lacey bl
rohibits any common carrier frDf