Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1924-09-10

The federal government has au-
thority to say when and how mi
gratory birds may be hunted There
remains more fundamental require
ment to insure their permanent in
crease, which interested parties in
the United States seek to accomplish
through the following bill:
The short title is Bill H. r. 745,
'Migratory Bird Refuge Act"-popu-
larly known as the Game Refuge
Public Shooting Grounds Bill" Very
briefly it provides:
(A) Each hunter of such birds
shall purchase a federal hunting Ii
cense costing one dollar. Any person
or members of his immediate family
resident with him is excepted when
hunting such birds on land on which
he and they are domiciled. Licenses
will be sold at postoftice. A hunter
holding license will be subject to
no more regulations than exist to-
day.
OBJ Forty-five per cent. of the in
come shall be used for the purchase
or rental of land and water for use as
migratory bird breeding and feeding
grounds, Sanctuaries on lines of mi
grafton and in the wintering zone.
and their maintenance, together with
some public shooting grounds; forty
i've per cent. by the bureau of bio
logical survey, in the United States
Department of Agriculture, herein
after called the survey, to employ
more federal game wardens (there
are now only twenty-six in the entire
United States) and to carry on it's
various activities in the protection
and propagation of migratory birds;
ten per cent. to cover expense of put
ting the law in operation
Co There will be migratory
Dlrd refuge commission, consisting of
the secretary of agriculture, chair
man, secretary of commerce, post
master general, two members of the
Senate selected by the President, and
two members of the House selected by
the Speaker. 1t will pass on any land
ana water that the secretary of agri-
culture may recommend for purchase
or rental, and shall fix the price. The
government shall acquire under this
act no land or water without the con-
sent of the legislature of the state in
which the area lies.
CD The bill places no restrictions
on commercial fishermen and tran
pers.
A bill (of similar purport) was pre-
scented to the last Congress. 1t passed
the Senate, but was defeated in the
House by the narrow margin of nine
teen votes.
For over two hundred years our
people slaughtered the migratory
game birds of this country. Finally
the public conscience awoke, and for
some years several states without CO.
ordlnated effort, gave them very lin
lted protection. However, the con-
tlnued rapid decrease in numbers was
convincing proof that existing meth
obs were Intellectual. Thereupon Con-
gress passed the migratory bird law
which gave the federal government
us present authority Later the
senate ratified treaty with Canada. !
congress then passed an enabling act
empowering the survey to make rules
and regulations for the entire conn
try.
only few years ago these birds
were shipped to the markets by the |
carloads. Thousands of men made |
thelr living killing them. Bag limits
IN large portions of the country were
and closed seasons ig- |
nored, if they existed
The survey established reasonable
regulations. AS to the wisdom of
FEDERAL control-consider the result.
To-day no birds can be killed any,
where before September 16 or after