Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-05-21
VALUE OF BIRDS AND GAME.
What the Audubon Society Is Doing
and Why II Is Doing II.

and Why 1t Is Doing II.
The plan of the Audubon society en-
braces the savings of the insect-eating
birds of the country, protecting Of
enough game to insure perpetuity, and
the protection Of fish in order that the
supply may not be wiped out.
Taking for its authority on crops the
United States department Of agricul-
ture at Washington, D. c., (the ac-
credited authority in this country the
society finds that insects infiict damage
J on the crops and forests Of the country
each year to the extent Of hundreds Of
millions Of dollars. Last year the de-
partment put the figure at above one
butes this, in the main, to the destruc-
ton Of the insect eating birds of the
country.
How fast such slaughter goes on Is
hardly realized by the average man.
One hundred and fifty million birds are
used up each year in the feather trade
Of Europe. That means enough birds
to stock six states equal In area to
Massachusetts,. Seven million robins
were accounted for as having been
killed in a single season in the south
two years ago. The white heron, once
common, is about gone. Cardinals,
nonpareils, bluebirds, mockingbirds, in
short, every bird that flies, are slain in
vast quantities annually by. irresponsi-
BILE gunners. When the entire country
is brought to realize the value of the
insect eating birds, public opinion will
stop the slaughter. This is the first
part Of the Audubon plan.
The readers Of the News and Cour-
Ter know the value of fish as a food
supply, and should therefore welcome
any intelligent protection Of them. This
part of the society's duty was laid on
it by the general assembly of South
Carolina. The society has sought to
discharge that duty. The protection Of
game in such a way as to insure per-
manent supply is the third part Of the
society's duty.
There are one or two observations to
be made here for the benefit of friends
Of the cause. These must be under
stood before action can be fruitful in
results. ..
First Of all, any protection Of game
must call for mutual concessions among
sportsmen. No man can have every
thing exactly as he wishes it and still
enjoy the benefit Of protective legisla-
ton. Everybody must give up httle
in order that all may have more. This
Is too often forgotten.
In the second place, 1t must be re-
membered that long seasons work in
favor Of the pot-hunter and pot-fisher-
man and against the working man.
The ideal pot-hunter can go every day;
the business man cannot. That ought
to be easy to see, but many sportsmen
do not see It,
In the third place, while there are as
many theories as to how game should
be protected as there are sportsmen,
there has been but one plan that work.
ed in practice and that plan is the Au-
dubon plan-that Is, the plan Of enlist
ing men to join an organization pledged
to see the laws enforced. Put game
protection in the hands Of the ordinary
constabulary of a state and there never
will be (at least there never has been)
any protection accorded to game.
There must be an intelligent, organized
protection, directed by wholly disinter-
ested parties. There you have the
Audubon society.
Last year with a total working cap
ital of $4,1SS.59, the Audubon socie-
ty of South Carolina, convicted hun
dred men of violating the game laws.
Probably not that many men have been
convicted by the state itself for fifty
years, although the laws were on the
books and the constables had all need
ed power. The rest Of the states have
had similar experiences.
So it makes no difference how much
money the state might devote to pro-
tecting game, game will lack protection
until the sportsman joins the ranks
and puts that much Of his shoulder to
the wheel.
It is not hard to find the reason. Men
who violate game laws are mostly good
fellows in sense. Their friends do not
wish them prosecuted, although believ-
ing in the law as an abstract PROPOSE
ton.
Just there the Audubon society draws
sharp distinction. 1t does believe In
prosecuting and, the better the fellow,
the harder 1t wishes to hit him. II len
iency is ever shown, it Is extended to
helplessness and ignorance, never to
power and high connections. In draw
ing a game law the prime object with
the society is to save the game, not to
pacify some prominent sportsman who
wants a week or so longer for sports.
The society, of course, is pure democ-
racy. Any man or woman can belong
to it and have his, or her. say The Of
ficers act merely in an executive ca
pacity. Every officer Is bound by the
will Of the society. There are more
than four hundred thousand men in
South Carolina, of whom some four
hundred belong to the Audubon socie-
ty. 1t would seem that at least one per
cent Of the population would be willing
to help save the states resources In
birds, game and fish. With one per
cent the society would be Independent.
The Almighty gave these gifts to the
whole people Of the state, and there
ought to be one per cent Of them suffi-
ciently sensible Of the value Of that gift
to help preserve it.
The Audubon society takes heart OF
grace from the fact that mightier cause
had smaller following some two thou
sand years since. But with two thou
sand years Of added knowledge and ex-
perience better things might reason
ably be looked for.-James Henry Rice,
Jr., Secretary, in News and Courier.