El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-07-06
US andCanada
TOPrOteCt Wild
Game InFntNre
New Law VIII Make the
Penalty Severe for Killing
Game Out OF Season.

Washington, D. c.. July 6.-A meas
ure that viii place every migratory
wild bird in North America under the
protection Of the government OF the
United States and Canada, and will
make the killing Of such birds out Of
season an offence against those gov
ernments and a violation Of iuterna-
tionaI treaty. is now being considered
BY a conference committee OF the
house and senate and viii soon be-
come a law
Conserves wild Life.
This measure, for which chief credit
belongs 10 our biological survey, is
the highest achievement Of the mod
ern movement for the conservation Of
wild life. So far as the migratory
birds are concerned, IL is probably
permanent triumph Of that movement
over the old short sighted idea that
wild life is bound &c disappear with
the spread Of civilization and that its
protection is therefore a matter Of
minor Importance
OutEro1vth Of Law Of 1913.
This measure is an outgrOWth Of
the migratory bird law OF 1913, which
empowered the secretary Of agricul-
tur5 10 make regulations with regard
10 the killing Of all wild birds that in
their migrations pass through more
than one state or territory. II applied
10 q number Of song and insectiVOrous
birds, TO wild ducks and geese. 10
snipe, ploVers woOdcock. rail and wild
pigeons At the time the law was
passed. all Of these birds were rapidly
decreasing in ali parts OF the United
States. They bred chiefly in the far
north. flying south in the fall and
north again in the spring. From the
Mexican border 10 Alaska they were
kIrH Hnar #aHa" d ~
hunters, not only on their southwark
migration. but uDou their return north
in the spring. This spring shooting
was the thing that most rapidly de-
srroyed them for birds were killed IN
February aHd March. after they had
mated, and in the regions where they
desired 10 nest and raise their young.
The result was that wild fowl which
had formerly bred in our own north [
crn states were driven to Canada and
20 Alaska. and reached these Ravens
only in constantly diminishing num- I
bers. To scientists who studied the
question, it was apparent that few /
more years would bring about their I
virtual extinction
Causes ProteHts
Yet the passage Of the federal NIL /
Eratory law resulted IN a nation wide /
howl Of protest from sportsmen. mar ]
ket Eunners. hotel and resort interests l
and game dealers. These persons saw /
their sport or their profits threatened /
by the ban on spring shooting, and /
apparently none Of them realized the /
need for this law. II shooting OF any /
kind was 10 continue There was new 4
or a more convincing demonstration OF i
the fact that local interests are both i
selfish and blind in this matter, and /
that wild life can be conserved only I
through The action OF. federal author /
itT, which has no interest in the mat |
ter except the preservation Of a ma /
tioual game supply
This 1913 law could not be ade-
quately enforced In the first place, /
it gave federal officers no police /
powers, and in the second place, 10 was I
assailed as unconstitutional de- {
cision on this point by the supreme /
court is still pending Nevertheless ]
regulations were prOmul gated by the ]
suited I'm the stoppage Of spring shoot 3
ing Of wild fowl TO a certain extent I
Even this limited amount Of protec-
tiou literally worked wonders. During
the past four years the wild fowl have j
returned 70 their old breeding grounds !
within the United States. and the fail
flights OF wild fowl have been the 4
greatest in a generation, as many an
astonished old timer has testified
The biological survey and other agen-
cies in game protection gave the Wild
est publicity to this increase in game,
tested the Interference with their
spring shooting were convinced Of the /
value OF the measure.
Treaty With Canada.
Meantime the treaty was negotiated
with Canada, By which that country
and the United States agreed TO CO.
operate for the protection OF the wild
birds during their migrations: and the I
measure which IS now about TO be-
come a law was introduced as an en-
abIing act under that treaty In most
OF its provisions Il IS just Ike the
1913 law. But its constitutionality
cannot be assailed because the treaty
with Canada is constitutional, and the
enabling act Is necessary TO carry out
the provisions Of that treaty. The
federal government, therefore, has full
and unassailable rights to use its 20
lice powers for the enforcement OF the
law.
Saved From Destruction.
This new migratory game law has
probably saved the wild fowl from de-
struction; but it does not apply 70 the
other species OF game. They are COM
prised chiefly IN two groups the non
migratory gallinaceous game birds,
such as grouse, prairie chicken. quail
and wild turkey, and the big game.