Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-06-13
Save the Bird Law.
tacle

il is shamefully abused If it cannot
rule. and ride rough shod. Nowhere is
the evidence of this more pronounced
than in the case of the bird law. The
Kansas City spring-shooters care not
a rap fer the cost of their sport TO
the farmers, fruitgrowers and forest
ers. Their Indignation is aroused be-
cause their annual bird murder spree
is likely to be prohibited. They are
raising all kinds of money and row
to defeat the protection of bird-laden
ducks and geese, the chief objects Of
their slaughter fun"
A Washington correspondent of the
Boston Transcript writes:
AS a last despairing effort, Senator
James A. Reed of Kansas City, Mo-,
moved once more to strike out the
$50, 000 appropriation for the migratory
bird law. Fer two long hours he pour
ed into the wearied ears of the Sem
ate a speech of mingled bathos and
vituperation aimed at DR.. Hornaday,
then withdrew his motion because he
couldn't pass it. His attack weuld
have been amusing had it not been so
deadly tiresome. That was the fourth
defeat that Senator James a. Reed
of Missouri has received from the
friends of the birds in the United
States Senate during the past ten
months.
"Thc Arkansaw Case" soon will riv-
al the fame of the "Arkansaw Travel
ler" says DR.. w. It. Hcrnaday, discus
sing the efforts of the pot-hunters to
nullify the operation of the Weeks-Mc-
Lean migratory bird law. DR.. Horn
aday's reference is to the case of Har-
vey c. Schauver of whom, the bird
man says, the name of Schauver will
go laundering down the ages as the
inheritance of the children of the man
who permitted himself to be used in
the aportive effort that was made in
191415 to destroy the only law that
was able to save the migratory birds
in North America from humiliation"
The enemies of the law have been
trying TO upset the humane and in
telligent policy pursued by the Govern
ment for the protection of wild fowl by
getting the courts to declare the law
unconstitutional" 1t appears that in
the wilds of eastern Arkansas, at
Jonesboro, on May 81, Mr.. Schauver
was tried in the United States District
Court for violation of the Federal Mi
2ratory bird law and Judge Jacob
Trieber decided that the law is I'M
constitutional" OF course the United
States will carry the case up until it
finally reaches the Supreme Court,
where, with extra expedition, a deeis-
ion may be expected in about eighteen
months. The first decision on the stat
US of the migratory law was that rend-
cred in South Dakota on April IS. 1914.
by Judge j. D. Elliott of the Federal
Court, who decided, in the case of A.
M. Shaw. that the law is constitutional.
Mr.. Shaw pleaded guilty and was fined
$780, which was paid.
The friends of birds need feel no
alarm over the Sehauver incident. nor
anything more serious than mild inter-
est, says DR.. Hornaday. Unless the
supreme Court of the United States
deliberately elects to pull down a full
score of laws which the representatives
~AAAANA ASoAi PVOplt nave enacted
in Congress for the greatest good of
the greatest number, the Federal mi
gratory bird law will stand. The side
OF the people and the birds will be
taken care of, if need be, by a bun-
ored able lawyers, who are fully com
Vlnced that the law is constitutional
ana that its stability can be demon
strated to the satisfaction of any omen
and logical legal minds
or course the enemies of the low .,,,,
iausn nrst and claim the decision in al
Eaice, III Hornaday goes on The Kap
sas city sprlng-shooters will make
and se erroat 10 rush the Supreme Court
a aru secure decision in their favor in
line 10 give them their beloved SHRINE
shootihg privilege next January. for dasr
10 the heart of the spring-shooter of ia1a
a. ele privilege of slaughtering egg-laden
a as and geese in March, April and
May. For that they are willing IN roh
the farmers and forest owners Of Amer
lca or the only law that ever can or 1e,yer
VIII adequately protect their best allies
lhe msectivorous birds DIR. Hornadav
says this is the exasperating fes+ura ~
Kansas City selfishness, and we NAV
Wen believe that the membership of tbe
interstate Spring Shooters' Protective
ASSOCIATION contains not one farmer
fruit-grower or forester
IN ADDITION to the score or more of New
York and Washington LAWYERS who have
offered their services to this cause some
or whom already have prepared extended
briefs, Frederic r. Coudert. one of tha
most distinguished members of the Am
erican Bar has volunteered his services
on the side of the birds, an offer which
undoubtedly will be accepted. The ne
partment of Justice, headed by Attorney
General McReynolds, can confidently he
trusted to conduct the peoples fight for
the birds with all the legal acumen and
resources or that department and the or
gained spring of Kansas CITY
now VIII have an opportunity to contrib
ute money in aid of their cause and Mr.
Schauver
The decision of Judge Trieber in the
Eastern District Court of Arkansas will
not In the least affect the enforcement
of the national migratory bird law in
other States, nor even in other districts
OF Arkansas. At present the decision is
a local issue and nothing more. In the
forty-seven other States the migratory
bird law will be rigidly enforced. The
law is loaded, and on July l. there will
be $4,000 available for its enforcement
Meanwhile, the negotiations for the in
ternational treaty are going right on, as
rapidly and as satisfactorily as is posi-
bic in such matter. The Canadians
realize that in protecting the migratory
birds we are doing our best to give them
a square deal. In due time the treaty
will be signed and presented to the Unit
ed States Senate for ratification; and
when that is done 1t is expected that the
Senate will ratify it. The resolute action
of the Senate Ak IN IL restoring the