Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1908-11-09
PROTECTION OF BIRDS
Why William butcher Wants Fund
to Stop SIaughtering Them.
ACT AS REAL PROTECTORS.
They War Against Insects and Rodents
Whose Yearly Ravases on Country's
Wealth Amount to $500, 100000, Says
Audubon Societies' Head.

Audubon Societies' Head.
Protection Of the country's bird life
in the interest of future agriculture
and forestry was recently urged at
the annual meeting in New York of
the National Association Of Audubon
Societies by its president, William
butcher, who said:
'"The foundation of all the wealth of
fhe country Is based on its agricul-
-tural and forestry products. and with
out birds such products would be i'm
possible. The annual loss from insect
and rodent pests at the present time Is
estimated to be $SO0,OO0,OOO. When
the pubic begins to think about these
figures and realizes that this annual
loss may be reduced by such work as
ours / feel sure that an adequate sup
port will be forthcoming.
eff it is not, this generation is sim
sply robbing children yet unborn. This
Is a terrible charge, but it Is true
.0ne. If we permit the heritage OF
wild birds that still exist to be wasted
and destroyed. we are robbing our chill
,<dren. We are simply trustees and
stshcrd sock to enlarge the estate In
St3ur care rather than squander it.
~ urge the foundation Of fund to
be devoted to the legislative work Of
this association. The public cannot
realize how very important this branch
of the work Is and how necessary 1t Is
to maintain eternal vigilance. To H.
Illustrate, after considerable hard work
: n satisfactory bird and game law Is
= secured in a state. You may think this
Is the end of the story and that our
work is finished in that locality, but 1t
Is not.
""1n some states a session of the leg
sislature is held annually, but fortu-
,nately In most Of the commonwealth
soiennially. Every session Of a legis-
Gsatnre must be closely watched in or
.-aiar to prevent amendments to our
fa,, ...u. would weaken it. This re-
qulres that copies of all bills intro
~Elnced must be promptly obtained and
that the association is kept informed
Of the committee to which the bill Is
referred and also of the dates Of hear
i,1Ss by the committee. When the bill
IN an important one a representative
OF the association must be present at
she hearing and speak for or against
1T.
1.-The above outline is simply what
mas to be done each year to prevent
llndesirabl bic legislation in one state, and
when it is multiplied by all Of the
states holding legislative sessions for-
fy-one in the coming winter you can
s.'airly Judge of the magnitude of this
Branch OF the work. When the asso-
citation initiates legislation, which it
very often does, success demands even
greater efforts.
Through the means Of reservations
th1s association has been able to dem
soustrate to the public the practical
-ralue Of bird refugees. Whether the
.7and has been set aside by the federal
:gov7""r'o ant or is held under lease by
The association. the wardens who guard
The birds occupying the reserves are
paid by this association, and this addi-
rtlonal but necessary tax upon our re-
sources has grown very rapidly during
the past year and bids fair to expand
very greatly in the near future.
"The possibilities for good of this
feature of association work are so full
Of promise that am warranted in
making special and urgent appeal for
large fund to be devoted entirely to
the acquisition Of bird refugees and the
proper care Of the same. The refugees
already secured are for sea birds, and
In addition to many more Of these
there should be established refugees for
land binds, especially such as grouse
mud quail. where experiments in propa-
gntior could be made