The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1913-03-06
CONGRESS HELPS
10 PROTEC e BIRDS

The Weeks=McLean delegates to
the department of agriculture power
to regulate the killing of all migratory
birds. This VIII bring timely proec-
ticn to many species of Wild fowl and
shore birds that would otherwise soon
join the species already extinct, and
viii also make it possible to cut down
the annual loss of sS0O,OOO.OOO, which
is suffered by agricultural interests
on account Of insect pests, by giving
the insect eating birds a chance to
increase.
The first binSfor federal protection
of migratory birds was INTRODUCED in
1904 by Hon. George shIras, 3D. then
member of Congress from Pennsyl-
vania, The bill was referred to the
House committee on agriculture but
was not reported.i In December 1908
the Hon. John W! Weeks OF Massa-
chusetts intro dpeed d measure, mod
eied after the shirasSbill. which was
referred 10. the same committee and
met the same ffate. In May 1909, Mr..
Weeks. reintrod1ced his bill with
notifications and while much inter-
est in the matter was aroused, there
was never enough cooperation among
those interested to secure hearing.
A later modification Of the Weeks
bill was introduced on January g.,
|19l1. At the first session of the
sixty-seconl Congress three bills on
the subject of the protection of mi
gratory birds were presented; the
Weeks bill on April 4, the Anthony
biil on April IL, and the Mclean bill
on May II, 1911. All the bills men
toned received the endorsement OF
sportsmen and naturaEsts, but it was
not until the American Game Protec-
tive and Propagation Association Sc
cured hearings, on March for the last
three, that the favorable sentiment of
the whole country was brought to
bear The weeks-McLaan bill as
passed in combination of all Of
them, but is modelled chiefly on an
amended form of the Weeks bill.
Speaking of the time and energy
required to get bill passed by Con-
Igress, a representative of the associa-
ton said today:
Since we first started work on this,
we have sent over 10000 letters re-
questing people to write their con-
gressmen endorsing the measure and
send US copies of the replies, so that
we should know where each member
of Congress stood. In this way we
have had them all put on record,
either for or against the bill, and have
been able to concentrate our efforts
where they were most needed. We
have been represented in Washington
nearly all the time during this and
the last sessions. We collected evil
dence of favorable public opinion
from every state in the Union in order
Ito show it to congressman. At the
Hearings, held March last year, we
presented favorable evidence from
lforty-four states, The measure was
enthusiastically backed in every sec
Ition of the country and the southern
support was convincingly strong"
| The following clubs have aided in
putting the measure through by send
ing representatives to Washington:
Camp Fire Club Of America, Nation
al Association of Audubon Societies,
Boone and Crockett Club. New York
Association for the Protection Of
Game, New York State Fish, Game and
Forest League, Long Island Game
Protective Association, Maryland
State Game and Fish Protective AS
ISOLATION, Clark county, o.; Fish and
Game Protective Association, Game
Protective Association Of virginia,