Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-06-15
The Value of Birds

The recent bill before Congress, ask
ing for remedial action against the
cruel and senseless slaughter of birds,
brought out many facts that were IN
teresting and valuable. The bill pro-
vided that all wild geese, wild swans
brant, wild ducks, snipe, ploVer, WOOD
cock, rail, wild pigeons and other NIL
gratory game and insectivorous plrds
which in their northern and southern
migrations pass through or do not re-
main permanently the entire year
within the borders of any STATE OF
territory shall hereafter be deemed TO
be within the custody and PROTECTOR,
Of the government OF the Ohileu
States. and shall not be destroyed or
taken contrary to the regulation mere
matter provided therefor 80,
The fixing of CLOSE and open
seasons was left with the department
of agriculture, and the penalty pre-
scribed for violation of the national
game laws is 500 for each ohense'
The administration of laws protecting
the birds which are not descrlpeo as
migratory; that is, the varieties that
are peculiarly local, was stu leIt 10
the States. This measure met Win
the approval of the authorities OF
forty-four out of the forty-elSht
States. and three--New York, MasSa-
chusetts and Oklahoma-gaVe leSlsia,
five Endorsement. 1t is even proposeu
that treaty be entered into with
Mexico and Canada by which the
birds that fly from one country 10 the
other would have sufficient protection
This would follow the precedent es-
tablished in Europe when Germany
Austria and Italy entered INTO an
agreement in 1875 to protect the olr os
that were common to the three eoun-
t,iae Since then eleven of the pow
ers of Europe have entered INTO q
more extensive agreement OF the sdiiie
nature. want Ia
thai in assuming the control Oh tie
migra tory birds it does not III
an4 state rights, for being migratory
the birds belong to no single StaIe'
hi to all the States through when
! they pass. ,,,,o ,,ird G
THE great value of the game olros
;s IN finnish food. This, however Is
limited. The insectivorous pros arr
Of untold value to the farmer, as tney
| l,ill and eat the weevil, gypsy motn,
hrown-tailed moth and other pests
| that ravage the fields and even oe-
| strov certain Industries.
The national movement 10 secule
protection for the birds again prllles
public attention TO the futile altel'' p, :
| Of MANY States to save them. AS the
number of birds grow less the crop
destroying insects increase. Inc
rayaging of the forests and destruc.-
| lion of crops drove thousands OF
farmers into despair and bankruptcy
Yet they were not awakened 10 tne
fact that it was through the killing
of "the feathered tribe that then
! failure was brought about. Ihese
conditions of slaughter under the
cuise of sport are perhaps Wen de'
scribcd in the last report of the DE.
partment of game and hsh OIL
Alabama, which says among othei
things:
"The first effort toward game and
bird preservation contemplated pro-
lection by local laws. These statutes
were most conspicuous and pro
nounced failures and VIGOROUSLY
violated on every hand. For
merly it was the custom to scatter
wheat or other provisions on GROUNDS
to attract doves in large numbers
The practise served to collect in close
proximity to the baited field all the
doves within a radius OF fifty miles
At an appointed time hunters ir
great numbers would repair by day
break to the field and the mighty
roar of the firearms could be likenec
to the roar OF a mighty battle. A;
many as six thousand doves have
been bagged in one field In single
morning"
The report closes with an appeal tc
the national government to save tbs
birds, saying:
I'VE are assisted in making gooc
crops by an army of featherec
friends that work for the husband
man without pay. The part thai