The Oskaloosa herald., 1918-01-10
WORK Still LIVES
LEGISLATIVE EFFORTS OF MAJOR
LACEY BEARS FRUIT. .

A hSfcISiHS OuE HluludI LIttuu WI
liam S. here is an instance of wher
the good that men do lives after them
Doctor T. C. Stephens of Sioux Cit.
in Iowa Conservation" the magazine
of the Iowa Forestry and Conserva
ton Association gives "a review o
wild life protection in Iowa" and Incl
dentally pens a comprehensive memor
ial to the late John F. Lacey of Oska
loosa whose efforts in the direction o.
protection for wild game has had g
nation wide significance. Doctor Ste
vens suggests that Major Lacey be
spoken of as the Father of Wild Life
Protection" in this country and calls
attention to the fact that our former
townsmen brought about the enact
ment of the first federal law for the
protection of wild game. Says Mr.. Ste
phens, Major Lacey was one of
Iowa's great men and the example of
his unselfish devotion to just, though
not popular cause, should be frequent
| ly brought to the attention of Iowa
Citizens"
The article goes into the history of
legislation in Iowa that may be said
to rest in part upon the. foundation
laid by Major Lacey and it gives a
history of the rough shedding the bills
had in the house and senate.
The article in part says:
Iowa has furnished at least two
figures whose activities in the cause
of wild life conservation have been
national inscope. DR.. w. T. Hornaday
may be called the national pioneer in
American game protection. His at
tention was first directed in about
1897 to the rapid disappearance of
American big game with which he
was especially familiar. The story of
DR.. Hornaday's life and work in be-
half of the wild/life of the country is
briefly told in another part of this
article. Iowa is glad to remember that
she had something to do in the making
of so fearless and effective a champion
of wild life.
At about the same time another
Iowan was developing convictions of
a very similar nature. This was Major
John F. Lacey of Oskaloosa. In 1915
this Association published memorial
volume of the life of Major Lacey and
his deeds are well known to most of
the readers of this magazine. But
Major Lacey was one of Iowa's great
men and the example of his unselfish
devotion to just though not popular
cause should be frequently brought to
the attention of Iowa citizens. The
protection of birds because of their
value and beauty was only one of Ma
jor Lacey's altrustic interests.
1t was on May rs, 1900 that he had
the satisfaction of seeing his bill the
Lacey Act" passed by the Congress.
This law was supplement to the var
ious state laws. The principal purpose
of the Lacey act was to place the in
terstate shipments of game under the
federal regulation. Thus formerly
game which was killed illegally in
one state and secretly conveyed to
market beyond that state boundry
was beyond the jurisdiction of the
state in which the law was violated
and game wardens were powerless to-
act. Interstate commerce is beyond
state control but the Lacey Bird Law
brought interstate shipment OF game
under federal control and prohibited
such shipments of game taken in vio-
lation of any state law.
This same act provided in addition
for the control by the Secretary OF
Agriculture of the importation into
this country of any foreign animals.
Iowa's contribution to the general
movement of wild life conservation
may be summarized thus. 1t brought
about the enactment of the first fed
eral law for the protection of wild
game, through Major John F. Lacey.
Ii produced the most effective cam
paigner in all the land against the ex-
termination of our native American
wild life,-Dr. w. T. Hornaday.
| have no knowledge or means OF
securing it now as to who were con-
cerned in drawing up and securing the
enactment of the first game laws in
Iowa. So the present account will fail
to do justice to the workers in this pio-
neer game legislation.
In 1906 the Thirty-frst General as
sembly passed the Model Law" which
provided that all wild birds both resi-
dent and migratory were the property
of the State also defined game birds
and non-game birds and prohibited
the transportation and sale of the
| non-game birds"
Elected Deputy Recorder.
| Mig Eva K Schafer was aDpOinteC