The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1909-01-21
PROTECTION OF BIRDS
Why William butcher Wants Fund
to Stop Slaughtering Them.
ACT AS REAL PROTECTORS.

They War Against Insects and Rodents
Whose Yearly Rsvages on Countrys
Wealth Amount to $500, 900, 900, Says
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:
1.-THE foundation OF all the wealth Of
the 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 $500, 100000. When
the public begins to think about these
figures and realizes that this annual
loss may be reduced by such work as
ours l feel sure that an adequate sup
port will be forthcoming.
"If 1t is not, this generation is sim
ply robbing children yet unborn. This
is a terrible charge, but it is true
one. 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
should seek to enlarge the estate in
our care rather than squander it.
81 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 IL
lustrate, after considerable hard work
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 it
is not
an some states session of the leg
islature is held annually, but fortu-
nately In most of the commemorative
biennially. Every session Of a legis-
lature must be closely watched in or
der to prevent amendments to our
law that would weaken 1t. This re-
quires that copies Of all bills intro
duced must be promptly obtained and
that the association is kept Informed
of the committee to which the bill -
referred and also of the dates of hear
ings by the committee. When the bill
is an important one representative
Of the association must be present at
the hearing and speak for or against
IT.
"The above outline is simply what
has to be done each year to prevent
undesirable legislation In one state, and
when it Is multiplied by all of the
states holding legislative sessions (for-
ty-one In the coming winter you can
fairly judge of the magnitude of this
branch Of the work. When the asso-
citation initiates legislation, which 1t
very often does, success demands even
greater efforts
Through the means Of reservations
this association has been able to DEM
onstrate to the public the practical
value of bird refugees. Whether the
land has been set aside by the federal
government 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
tional 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.
1.-THE possibilities for good of this
feature of association work are so full
Of promise that am warranted in
making a special and urgent appeal for
a 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 birds, especially such as grouse
and quail, where experiments In propa-
CATION could be made"