The Paonia progressive and the Paonia newspaper., 1911-06-22

volved by the hard work be did to get
what admittedly was Justice In the
case. The captain did not want a bad
precedent established and SO even
though the amount was small as 1t
was he made a fight for his own.
Captain Conrad paid s32.s5 extra
duty money to certain enlisted men.
The men had earned IL and were en-
titled to the money by a regulation
which had existed for years The cap
tain discovered that Uncle Sam bad
revoked the extra pay regulation. but
had neglected to notify the quarter
masters Uncle Sam Is unreasonable
at times. He stopped Sass out OF
Captain Conrads pay and practically
told the officer he should have known
eminent had an order slowed away in
a vault somewhere that extra duty pay
had been cut out
Captain Conrad was over i've years
trying to get back his S32-s5. and he
stuck TO the task like the good fighter
that he is. Permission finally was
granted by the secretary of war. the
lieutenant general of the army and
the auartermaster general to Captain
Conrad to try to get a bill passed by
congress TO reimburse him for the
robbery perpetrated by Uncle Sam
some time prior TO the Spanish war.
DIR. T. s. Palmer who for yeap has
had charge OF the general matter OF
game bird protection for the depart
ment OF agriculture frequently has
sent out warnings to the effect that
the wild fowl OF the country were be-
ing exterminAted rapidly and II this
valuable food supply assets were to
be saved something must be done to
check the slaughter OF the ducks and
the geese.
A Massachusetts member OF con
gress aided and abetted by a western
member had had plans before the
house for years which he thinks n put
into effect will compass the salvation
Of the ducks. the geese. the swans and
for that matter all birds that are mi
gratory In their habits. II this plan IL
ever allowed to reach the floor OF con
gress for debate there will be more
constitutional points raised than were
brought up during the rapid nre OF
verbal interchanges between the great
constitutional lawyers of the senate
when the railroad rate question was
under consideration.
There was success in getting the
bird saving plan before congress. but
not in the form that would allow
open discussion in the house. The bill
was drawn. introduced and sent to the
committee on judiciary where II was
the subject of both humorous and Sc
rious comment II this bill were ever
to become law II unquestionabiy
would tend TO save the game birds of
the country from determination and
congress has been told. what most
people have realized. that the game OF
the United States is a valuable econo-
mic asset and that II is possible to
eat the game birds and still have
them.
The member who fathered the mas
use said that the only way to save
the game birds was to pass a national
law against their destruction except in
certain short. close seasons OF course
the general understanding is that the
states alone must legislate on the
game birds within their borders. The
western members declared that mas.
much as game birds were migratory
and took their flight from one state to
another they were subject to the laws
governing interstate commerce. "A
railroad" he said. CROSSES n state line
and Uncle Sam has charge of legisla.
tion affecting It. The same rule and
the same right apply to birds
Now 1t may seem the extremity Of
foolishness to the hyman and posi-.
bly, to most lawyers. but some shining
legal lights in Washington held that
the reasoning of the father OF the bird
protection measure was good reason