Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1914-01-13

outnueu TINS winter, 1t was not the IN
tention of the administration to rec
ommend drastic legislation or to push
the entire program of moderate anti
trust Legislation to a completion at
this session.
The sequence of events points to a
period OF rest for the business world.
treat corporation after great corpora
tlon mas been telling the United States
government that it will obey the law
and therefore it is probable that some
or the prosecutions which have been
instituted will not be pushed, ard if
the corporations continue to do the
J right thing as the department of JUS
tice views it, the prosecutions will be
few and far between.
Seek to Reassure Business.
Some time ago it became known
from some of the presidents close adj
visers that Mr.. Wilson desired that
business should be treasured. 1t also
became known that Democratic lead
ers in congress were urging thar. no
drastic legislation affecting business
should be passed at this session Men
in position to know seemed to be Ger
tain that the president would say some
definite reassuring words at a later
time. When the currency bill was
signed Mr.. Wilson spoke of business
and of its better relations with the
government and he made his fine
phrase calling the condition "A Con-
stitution of Peace"
1t was within forty-eight hours aft.
er this address of the president and
Immediately following his signing of
the currency bill that Thomas r. Mar
shall, vice-president of the United
States, said in INDIANAPOLIS that it
could be taken for granted that no
drastic antitrust legislation world be
enacted by congress this winter.
All things point TO a desire on the
part of the Democratic majority in
congress TO avoid any legislation
which, even if seemingly commend
able, shall upset business conditions.
1t seems the Democrats think that
such legislation as they desire to en-
act can be spread over a longer period
and that gradually and easily the in
dustries of all kinds can adjust them
selves to the new plan of action. From
this springs the desire to do nothing
harsh hastily"
1t must not be understood that the
Democrats think that such legislation
as is demanded by the Baltimore plat
form will be harsh. They do say, how
ever, that they think that, coming lin
a bunch" it might upset conditions
and perhaps work to the temporary in
gram of make haste slowly.
Saving American Birds.
Congress, as is probably pretty
well known by this time, passed
a bill at the last session pro,hib-
iting the importation of the plum
age of wild birds into this country.
The reasons Tor this legislation are
not perfectly clear, apparently, to the
people of the United States. 1t was
not passed solely because of a desire
to save the wild bird life of other
countries, although such thought en-
reason was that much of the pluniage
of the birds of other countries cannot
be distinguished from the plumage of
birds of this country, and it was found
frequently before the law was passed
that birds protected in this country
were killed for their plumage, which
was then passed off as the plumage Of
foreign birds.
The bird protectors, who are trying
to do what they can to serve the ag-
ricultural interests of the country by
saving the insectiverous birds, found
that the lure of the market was too
strong for many American gunners,
and that they would kill all kinds OF
birds, trusting to luck to pass their
plumage off as that of the birds of
Europe, Asia or Africa.
1t took about IS years to get the
necessary protective legislation on the
statute books. 1t was first introduced
by George Shiras, Jr. a Republican,
and a man who has studied wild life
from boyhood and who has the love
ofsnature at heart. Mr.. Shiras was a
member of congress a good many
years ago. He never could get con
sideration for his bill. Finally, how
ever public sentiment was aroused
and the efforts of the Audubon society
met with such success that a Demo
cratic congress passed a iii which
had been introduced years before by
a Republican.
Many National Bird Reserves.
In addition to his non-importation
laws, Uncle Sam is doing great deal
There are now national bird reserves
in many parts of the United States,
reserves set aside so that during the
breeding season at least the song
sters. the insect eaters, the seed eat
ers and the game b3Tds can rear their
young in peace. free from the terroTs
OF the nest robber and the plume
hunter.
During the past year seven new ma.
tional bird reservations have beer es-
tablished by the president of the
United States. There are now So of
these reservations, and the good that
they are doing is manifest in the in,
creased number of birds which yes-
ly make their migratory fight. The
new reservations are as follows:
Chamisso island, in Alaska; PishSun,
in Montana; Desecheo island. in Porto
Rico; Gravel island, on Green bay. in
Wisconsin; Aleutian islands in Alas
ka; Walker lake, in Arkansas: and
Petit Bots island, in Alabama. These
new reservations are important breed
Ing sites for certain species of Wild
birds.
The reservation embracing the
islands of the Aleutian chain situated
between the north Pacific ocean and
Behring sea. was set apart nor only
as a breeding place for native BIRDS,