Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 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 23 negative votes. 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 Trojan for 1t
ever since. This league has also done
stalwart 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 flood of petit"
lions 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 desperate fight against the
measure, but we have won 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 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. Fl
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 wholesome re-
spect for them. 1t is well Known fact |
that where game birds are liberated by |
wealthy clubs many farmers boys take |
a fiendish 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
tho mongoose, the flying foxes. the
starting, and other wild birds known to
be Injurious to agriculture and horti- |
culture. If we had had such 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