The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1908-01-09
WHAT AUDUBON
SOCIETIES ARE
rs EXPLAINED BY Il. n. KAP-
MAN SPECIAL AGENT.
INJUNCTION Is GRANTED
In Case Of Revenue Agent Against
Certain Piano Houses Operating in
State Successful Farmers Meeting.

4
Audubon Society is to prevent the in
discriminate killing of birds. This
purpose is accomplished partly by
teaching people that birds are not
here expressly to- he shot. In other
words, an Audubon society, while not
opposed to legitimate hunting, seeks
to create among the people varied
interest in bird life. When it sue
ceeds in this work; birds are not as
ISOLATED entirely with the thought Of
hunting. The Audubon workers be-
lieve that hunting is part only of
mans relation to birds. They deal
with the value Of the live Dird; many
hunters deal only with the value of
the dead bird. The bird protection
lists claim that most birds are more
valuable alive than dead, and that
| very few birds are valuable only when
they are dead.
The Audubon Societies believe in
the value Of live birds for three prin-
cipal reasons: Their service to ag-
riculture, their beauty, and their ap-
peal to our humane sentiments. We
find that most birds should be preserv
ed for some or all of these reasons.
A few birds are not valuable as food
and as objects of sport; fewer still
are directly injurious to the interests
of man. The destruction of these is
not opposed by the Audubon socie-
| ties.
So the question is not merely one
of sentimental objections to killing
birds, but of whether bird is more
valuable to a hunter when it is dead
or more valuable to the average citi-
zen when it Is alive. That is the only
test by which the matter can be set
tied, for it is social question. The
country ait large is interested in its
proper solution. The birds do not be-
long to any particular class, but they
do belong exclusively and inaliena-
bly, to the whole people. There are
comparatively few birds whose de-
struction does not cause loss 10
society at large, which does not hunt,
is comforting favor upon the hun
tiers therefore when it permits them
to kill its birds. The hunters should
recollect this, and instead of dictat-
ing terms, as they sometimes try 10
do, should be governed by the in
terests Of the people in general, who
will assert themselves in the end, and
the more unyielding the longer their
interests are disregarded.
The most important way in which
society is served by birds is the de-
struction of injurious insects. Mil
lions of dollars of crops and timber
are ruined annually m this country
by these insect pests. ALI the impor-
tant kinds of such insects are preyed
on by various species of birds. The
bull bat or night hawk, the flicker,
or raincrcw. Now we know that the
thrasher, the robin, and scores of 9th
ers are engaged in this warfare
against insect enemies. The country
cannot afford to sacrifice one of them
| to the pot hunter or the boy gunner.
| Ducks, snipe, wild turkeys, these are
game birds, not the kind whose song,
| plumage and service to the farmer
enstle them to absolutely safety IN
| our midst.
People have been supposing for
many years that the majo1ity Of
small birds were fit for nothing and
that, therefore, it was a matter Of in
difference whether we killed them OF
not. It was supposed to rest with the
conscience of the individual whether
he was doing wrong in killing some
innocent song bird OF some silent
and inoffensive woodpecker, bull bat
or raicrow. Now we know that the
individuals interest in the fate Of
these birds is only trife compared
with the sacrifice suffered by society
when we permit their killing that, al
most without exception, they are Of
the highest economic Importance to
mankind
These are the considerations that
have developed the Audubon work 20
its present large proportions, and that
have created a term that sums up
the attitude of bird-prosection to-day.
That term is NON-GAME. Non game,
in the light of recent study, is the
largest and the most important part
Of the feathered creation. Non-game,
the birds we must keep alive, the
birds that are useful, beautiful, or
harmless if nothing else.
Woodville Saloons Close.
Friday was the first day in many
years when Woodville had no open
saloon. Late in December, 1906, an
agreement between the prohibition