Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-03-08
PLEA FOR
\ CAT LICENSE
Game Commission Urge
Law Strongly.
TAX THE CATS.
Effort Made to Save the Bird Life
by Eliminating WORTH
less Cats.

5 That the bill before the New Jersey
Legislature to place a tax on cats is
sapurely an economic measure, intend
xsed to conserve. birds and small game
n animals that are recognized as valu-
s$ble public assets is the claim made by
ISthe State Fish and Game Commission
IN a statement for public information
on the proposed legislation.
The Commission calls attention to
the fact that the United States Bur-
eau of Agriculture is spending thou
4 sands of dollars yearly to educate the
II public to feed and protect birds, be-
cause the department considers these
y birds as the only sure protection of
n farm crops and forests against in
furious insects.
e The American Forestry Association
declares that tree insects cost the
e country $700,000,000 every year-an
& average of 81 per capita. The preser-
vation Of forests in the United States
l with it's direct effect upon the pulp
paper industry and other great manu-
featuring nterprises-depends large
E ly upon the birds, as the only eco
nomic method Of fighting the tree-de-
n stroying insects is to increase the
N bird life in the woods.
4( In New Jersey the economic value
Fof birds has been recognized during
fecent years in stringently enforced
protective legislation. The State Fish
and Game Commission also has con-
Aducted a campaign of education that
81 has brought scores of organizations
Sand thousands of individuals into CO.
operative conservation work, especi-
ally along the line of the winter feed
ing of birds and in bird-house build
ing, the chief aim of which is to in
# crease the number of birds by offer
] ing them more and safer nesting
4 places.
II This constructive work, of Federal,
fState and private interests is largely
IL useless if cats are to be permitted to
Nslay large percentage of the birds
thus saved. At every stage of his
AZ work, the bird conservationists face
/. the cat menace. Careful study of the
situation by well-known authors, nat
uralists and agricultural experts
Z leaves no question as to the cat being
the greatest cause of bird-destruction
/ known.
II Even the petted house cat will stalk
II birds on the lawn; but the greatest
\ damage is done by the army of cats
e deserted by their owners, which re-
vert to a half-wild state and subsist
almost entirely on a song-bird diet.
The farmers of New Jersey want
the cat-license bill enacted. The State
u Health Authorities regard the cat as
public health menace The, bird
Il protective associations unanimously
favor the measure. The sportsmen OF
the State are unit in advocating its
4 enactment, recognizing the cat as a
predatory enemy, not only of birds
but of all small game
At present the law gives the cal
\ greater privileges than human be.
A ing. man who kills an insect-eat-
4 ing bird and is detected, pays a fine
II of $100 or goes to JAIL The cat that
Il is detected runs away-and kills an
@other bird.
Legislation that will require all
Z owners of cats to pay license fee
and that will further provide for the
humane killing of all unlicensed cats
ais regarded by all students of the bird
Z and cat problem as the best solution.
Il New Jersey has repeatedly set the
Y pace for other states with fish and
game conservation methods that are
q now becoming universal. The legis-
latures of several other common
wealths are considering cat-license
laws this year and the commission
believes that New Jersey should be
1 The first to put this important eco
nomic legislation on the statute
hooks.