The St. Mary banner., 1911-07-29

| volved by the hard work he did to get
| what admittedly was Justice In the
! case. The captain did not want a bad
| precedent established and SO even
though the amo..4.e was small as II
was he made fight for his own
Captain Conrad paid $32S5 extra
duty money to certain enlisted men
The men had earned it and were en-.
titled to the money by regulation
which had existed for years. The cap.
tain discovered that Uncle Sam had
revoked the extra pay regulation, but
had neglected to notify the quarter
masters. Uncle Sam is unreasonable
at times. He stopped $32.S5 out of
Captain Conrad's pay and practically
told the officer he should have known
in some mysterious way that the gov
ernment had an order slowed away in
a vault somewhere that extra duty pay
had been cut out.
Captain Conrad was over five years
trying to get back his $32.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 quartermaster 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.
DR.. T. 8. Palmer who for years 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 western
member had had plans before the
house for years which he thinks If 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 is
ever allowed to reach the floor of con-
gress for debate there will be more
points raised than were
brought up during the rapid fire of
verbal interchanges between the great
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. introd. SC .nd sent to the
on judicfal - where it was
he subject Of both humorous and Sc
.ious comment. II this bill were ever
% become law 1t unquestionably
would tend to save the game birds of
he country from determination and
congress has been told. what most
,eople have realized. that the game OF
he United States Is a valuable econo-
mic asset and that 1t is possible to
at the game birds and still have
hem.
The member who fathered the meas
se said that the only way to save
be game birds was to pass a national
aw against their destruction except in
ertain short. close seasons. OF course
be general understanding is that the
tates alone must legislate on the
anne birds within their borders. The
'estern members declared that mas
luch as game birds were migratory
nd took their fight from one state to
mother they were subject to the laws
overning interstate commerce.. "A
abroad" he said. Crosses a state line
nd Uncle Sam has charge of legisla-
on affecting 1t. The same rule and
le same right apply to birds"
Now it may seem the extremity Of
'olishness to the layman and possi- [
" to most lawyers, but some shining I
gal lights in Washington held that I
le reasoning Of the father Of the bird (
rejection measure was good reason {