Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-08-24
GOVERNMENT SETTLES TROUBLE
BETWEEN STATES BY MAKING
RULES APPLICABLE TO ALL.
NEW REGULATIONS ARE
PUT OUT BY DEPARTMENT
Action Taken to Prevent Complete Ex-
termination of All Game Birds-Many
State Laws Inadequate or FeebIy
Enforced, Agricultural Department
Decides to Adopt Drastic Measures.

bird law met in New York on Aug. Z
and recommended to the department Of
agriculture a new set of regulations
covering the taking of migratory game.
These regulations, with the approval OF
the depa rtment af agriculture, became
effective Aug. 81.
The advisory committee has issued
statement of its reasons for the recon-
mendations. 1t has tried to conserve
beth game and sport. 1t has Deen I'M
able to make all the concessions asked
Game is fast vanishing, and some
species of 1t have already become ex-
tinct Others are upon the verge OF
determination. Facilities for killing u
rapidly improve. The number of hunt
ers constantly increases, State laws
are in many instances inadequate, ana
ir others feeb1y enforced. In the judy
ment Of the committee there will be lit
tie game left in the United States
within very few years unless the
regulations. under the federal law are
enforced and respected.
Spring Shooting Under Ban.
Spring shooting has been everywhere
refused 1t has been adopted as fixed
rule for the present that no part OF the
country may shoot after the game ha
started for its breeding grounds in the
north. That this works a hardship
upon some sections where conditions in
the fall are not always favorable to
sport. the committee very well knows.
Yet it has not discovered how It ca"
make special concessions to those sec
tons without arousins the rest OF the
country 10 demands for the same
thing.
1t has recommended a maximum
shooting season of three and one-haif
months for any section of the coun-
try, and tried to equalize opportunity
as hes, it can in fixing that season.
The committee knows it can mot
satisfy every one. 1t can, however,, ap-
proximate justice to every one. Il
faces in a wastefu! country the tre-
mendous task Of saving tbs game. 1t
wants to save il alike for the sports
man Of today and the sportsman to
come. It asks the people of the coun-
try, who have rallied around every one
of our tardy movements for conserva-
ton, to sustain and support 1t in that
effort.
Statement Of Committee.
The members of the, committee in
view of the new regulations setting
forth closer seasons on migratory wa
terfowl and birds, issued statement
as follows:
ITO the People of the United States:
The advisory committee appointed oY
the secretary of agriculture Hon. ID. II.
Houston, to cooperate with the ourea Il
of biological survey in fixing the reg
ulations for closed seasons on migra :
tory birds, as authorized by the fed
eral nigga bird law, desires 10
state to the people of the country that
after the most exhaustive investiga.
ton, and the most careful consider
alton Of every point raised, the reg
ulations as promu,ga ted were un-
snimon sly recommended by the mem
bers of this committee We reaiiz
the utter impossibility Of even attempt
| ing TO satisfy all that desire to shoot
migratory birds.
Matters Considered.
I'm recommending the regulations we
were controlled by the following con
| sderations:
"First-A most earnest desire to save
| from certain depletion and threatened
annihilation the valuable waterfowl
game and insectivorous birds which
migrate across the United States twc
each year.
| "Second-To accord the hunters IL
| the various states as nearly as POSSIBLE
an equal opportunity of taking migra-
tory waterfowl and nomadic gam,
birds.
| "Third-To open the seasons during
| which these birds can be legally killed
| in those months when under norma
weather and food conditions the larg
| est number of migratory waterfowl ant
birds sojourn in any particular state.
| Fourth To absolutely eliminate
spring shooting when migratory wa
| terfowl and birds on the northwart
migration are journeying towards tibet
breeding grounds, thus impelled by tn
resistless force Of nature, to mate, mes
and reproduce their species.
"Fifth-To recognize unusual AM
extraordinary conditions existing in {
few OF the states, without affecting thu
equity Of vested rights of the people o
the whole country in the migrator.
wild life.
"Sixth--To submit reasonable, prac
teal, fair and just regulations tina
should invite the support of all tru
| conservationists
"Seventh-To guarantee not only t
fthe present generation a REASONABLE
supply of migratory wild life, but to S
protect it that it will multiply and b
handed to future generations as thel
proper and righ.ful heritage.
4 1.-THE imperative necessity for the en-
actment of the federal migratory bir
law is palpable to every thoughtful an
discerning mind.
migratory wild life does not eve
recognize national, to say nothing c
state, lines. The varia bility of tn
statutes of the states protecting thes
migrants, the lack of uniformity i
these laws. the rapacity with whic
the nomadic birds are slaughtered
yoracious annihilators of wild life
many of the states to the detriment {
the people at large, compelled the cor
clusion Of congress that the exigencie
Of the situation demanded federal reg
ulations that would. in reality, save til
migratory waterfowl and birds frol
determination"
4 r