The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1908-07-22
ASTR0NG LETTER
Secretary Rice Makes Appea! for
Audubon Socisty.
DOING GOOD WORK.

He Points Out the Valuable Results
That Have Been Accomplished in
South Carolina in Spite OF :, Lack
of Funds and Under Great Ditficul-
ties.
The following letter written by
Mr.. James Henry Rice. secretary OF
the South Carolina Audubon Society
was published in The News and
Courier one day last week:
Spartanburg, S. c.. July T., 1908
TO the Editor of The News and
Courier: Sir-Saturday copy OF
The News and Courier was DELAYED.
reaching Spartanburg Saturday night.
Hence did not see your editorial on
the Alabama game law unit: to-day.
You have been imposed on By the
featuring regulations out Of nothing.
common an cheap method ot manu-
Alabama has a good law-lt ought
+o he a good law, for it was written
bv the Audubon Society. and passed
principally through the efforts OF
Mr.. T. Gilbert Pearson, naUona! sec
retary. whose home is at Greensboro.
\. C. SouthCa roliua contributed
generously with suggestion and
otherwise.
Mr. John H Wallace poSsioi?: alsc
contributed, and he may have writ
ten, that is to say. copied, the Ia"
from the original Audubon draft,
and may have had it presented to
the legislature
Just prior to the passage OF the
Act I received Letter from promln-
ent member of the Alabama Legisla-
tu7e ridiculing the game law, espe-
ciallv the effort of the Audubon So
ciety to secure better laws.
The Audubon Society made certain
revelations before the Legislature OF
of the State to action and caused
Union. It was shwn among otner
things that sixty thousand (6O,000)
live pacridges had been shipped the
previous season from three sn'a''
towns in Alabama, and tGae the
par,,i6se was about TO become eX'
tinct in many portions OF the state
q fact not known =. all IN the State
of Alabama.
To credit Mr.. Wallace, or anybody
else in the State of Alabama with
having written good game law is
simply to misstate the facts OF re-
cord. The Alabama law is simply a
CODY of the same law in South Caro-
lima, and the South Corallna law
was passed first. Alabama has a
meagre fish law. just as South Caro-
lima has When Mr.. Taylor and my
self write a good fish law they Will
probably have d good fish law IN
Alabama shortly afterward, and
somebody else will credit Mr.. Wallace
with provisions and all the other
qualities.
There is a difference in Alabama s
favor. for which they deserve credit
They began by electing State game
and fish commissioner, with salary
of $500, who is elected by the peo-
pie and holds Office for four years
the Act being passed at the session
of 1907. The State pays all the eN-
penses of his Office. except the com
missioner's travelling expenses,
Printing and all other expenses are
paid by the State.
The same Act makes all sherlfts
constables, deputy sherifs, maTshals
and other peace officers eX-offlclc
game wardens, and provides for the
appointments Of county game wardens
on commission.
This placed, ready-made, in the
hands of the State fish and game
commissioner, machinery for en-
forcing the laws, and money with
which to make the machine 60
Alabama has nonresident hcen-
Sc law, the rec icing SIS, and they
make q hunters license for citizens
of one dollar. good only for the
county in which they live; outside
their own county they must pay an
other license of s.. 1t is from these
sources that $4,000 was reailzed'
and the sum is only one-tifth what
it ought to be.
Before leaving his branch Of the
subject do not forget that the power
that forced action and that gives
stability to the whole scheme is the
Audubon Society. which has accom-
plished a great deal more in South
Carolina than it has in any other
Southern State, in fact, in the same
length of time.
Let US pass now to the conditions
confronting US in South Carolina and
colfne discussion to a statement of
the facts to date.
The Audubon Act. granting a
charter to tae Audubon Society o
South Carolina. and making certain
yr"a1l.tlons as to the sale, t-acsp ,r-
tation and killing of game, and pro-
viding for a nonresident license Of
ten dollars, was entitled into law at
the session of 1907. No provision
was made for the pay of wardens.
except that they were to be paid by
the Audubon Society. a game pro-
lection fund was created, just as ln
Alabama. Under this charter the
Audubon Society Of South Carolina
was organized and began work in
April, 1907, when l went on the road
to appeal to the people Of the State
to provide funds for carrying on the
work of preserving the birds, game
and FISH of the State. The SoclteE
h only $500. all told, with which
tc slice South Carolina. provide