Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1920-07-08

and bluebills in a marsh at Nevada, Mo-. 1t real
ly was a distinguished party. In it were Attorney
General Frank McAlister of Missouri; ]. r. Rey-
nolds of Kansas City; e. S. vilmoare, Kansas
City, and NJ. S. Bodine and Clarence Evans OF
Paris, Mo.
But congress had previously passed the fed
eral migratory bird act, which among other things
prohibits spring shooting of water fowl. How
came it then, that the attorney general of the
state of Missouri was In the party?
Well, he was "from Missouri" The Missouri
folks have to be shown, you know. And Attor-
ney General McAllister and his friends had an
idea that the migratory bird act was unconstitu-
tional. They liked to shoot ducks-spring, as
well as fall-and they proclaimed that the act
interfered with the sovereignty of the state Of
Missouri and with the property rights of the peo-
pie of Missouri.
So Attorney General McAlister of Missouri
and his friends went hunting March Z, 1919.
Moreover, they didn't care who knew it. Maybe
they even tipped it off to the federal game war
dens. Anyway, the federal game wardens put in
an appearance and arrested the attorney general
and his party. The party was a%rraigned at Gin
ton, Mo. McAllister took the case into court, ask
ing for an injunction to restrain the federal game
wardens from enforcing the law. Federal Judge
A. S. Van Valkenburgh held the law constitutional
and the state appealed to the United States Su-
preme court.
To George Shiras III, and Elihu Root the
millions Of bird-lovers owe gratitude. So do the
millions of gardeners and farmers who, with the
insectivorous birds gone, would be eaten up by
their insect foes. George Shiras, a member of
congress from Pennsylvania, began the fight away
back in 1904. Elihu Root-possibly the most COM
manding intellect in the country ~today-cinched
the victory.
T. Gilbert Pearson, secretary and executive Of
fcer Of the National Association of Audubon So
cieties, who has also a big share In the victory,
1s a wideawake citizen and thoroughly familiar
with the situation. Let him tell the story of the
long, hard fight. Says Mr.. Pearson:
"George Shiras III. was a man of means who
was interested in good works. In looking over
the situation In reference to the protection Of
birds, he discovered that the states all had differ
emit seasons in which migratory game birds could
be shot and that what the situation really amount
ed to was that game birds could be shot In diff
ferent parts Of the country all through the year.
He decided that the only way to remedy this state
of affairs, which would in time result In the ex-
tinction of game birds, was to put the matter I'M
der government control and thus do away with
the constant and everlasting wrangling of the
states. So he introduced q bill In congress for
the protection of migratory birds. 1t was re-
ferred to a committee and put in a pigeonhole.
and that was the last OF It.
.Before this time the only protection law In
force in the States was the Audubon law, which
we succeeded in getting enacted in all but about
eight states. This, however, did not prohibit the
selling of birds. In 1910 we brought about the
prohibition Of the sale Of ~aigrettes.
aIn theory, the state game laws worked NICE
". and 1t could be shown On paper that each
state could have its chosen shooting season and
ztill there would be no dying out OF birds. But
In practice they did not work SO we'll Take. for
4nstanco duck shooting-when the ducks start
porth In the spring they are mating and II you