The Marietta journal. (Marietta, Ga.) 1918-1944, 1920-10-29
Audubon Society Urges Halt in
Destruction, Due to 50-Cent
Bounty Law.
BIRDS OF FREEDOM LIBELED
Official Cites Instances of Mistaken
Bird Campaign in Asking Suspen.
sion of Bounty Law-12,ooo
Killed Since Law Enacted.

New York.--American eagles in
Alaska frequently kill full-grown
deer, and are devastatOrS of sheep and
other live stock, fur-bearing animals,
domestic and wild fowl, salmon and
other food fish, according to Alaskans
who have been writing on the sub
ject to L. Gilbert Pearson, secretary
of the Audubon Societies National as
ISOLATION.
Mr.. Pearson has been directing from
the New York offices of the associa-
ton an agitation to save the American
eagles III Alaska by removing the
price of 80 cents a head, which was
placed on their heads by the Alas
kan legislature in 1917, which made
them outlaws because of their sup
posed destructiveness. The accusers
of the bird of freedom in Alaska have
made out a very black prima facie
case against him, but the bird experts
of the Audubon societies generally be-
lieve that the eagle has been convicted
on hearsay evidence and without much
of trial. BY way of giving the bird
his day in court, the department of
agriculture has sent scientist to
Alaska TO make a close study of ways
and habits of the defendant
The number of eagles killed In
Alaska since the bounty law went into
effect is not less than 10000, accord
ing to estimates today. c. d. Gar
field secretary of the Alaska Fish and
Game club, in letter to NJ. Pearson
in August said:
"A vast difference is noted in the
numbers of these birds showing in
southeastern and western Alaska, and
it is safe prediction that, if the
! slaughter continues for a few years
longer the species will become prac
| tically extinct in this country"
Asks Suspension of Bounty.
According to Mr. Pearson, one sec
| tion or another of this country is al
| ways working itself up into a witch
| burning zeal against some particular
| bird, which usually proves in time
| 20 be not only innocent, but benefi-
| cial
"Of course, human beings are more
! important than birds" he said, land
| their concerns are entitled to first con-
! SideratiOn. If the charges against the
American eagle were all proved the
bounty law would be justified. But
there have been so many mistaken
| Slaughterlag campaigns against valu-
! able or harmless birds that we are ask
| ing in this case a suspension of the
! bounty law until the study of the hab-
dertaken. show whether he really de-
serves slaughter or not.
"A few years ago there was an anti
mcadoW-lark campaign in California.
! Speeches were made in the legislature
to the effect that they were running
The grape crop in some sections. For
Il time it seemed as if the meadow
lark was doomed, but q careful nves-
tigation of the origin of the cutlery
against rhe lark showed that it all
started with statement of farmer
that he had seen lark sitting on the
grapes.
New Jersey had similar period
Of hysteria against the robin, which
was alleged to be destroying the
cherry crop. There was a great propa-
ganda in Arkansas and Texas for a
| time because of the untrue charge
that they were destroying rice fields
"One of the most exciting cam
| paigns of persecution against a lib
eral bird started along the gulf coast
brown pelican was destroying food fish
ct the rate of nearly a million dollars