Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-22
STATES ARE URGED
TO CONSERVE GAME
THROUGH NEW PLAN
Joseph P. Knapp Advises
Preservation of Wild Life
as Economic Asset.
SAYS PRESENT STATUTES
HAVE PROVED FAILURE
Propagation of Species Should Be
Stressed in Legislation,
He Believes.
BY JOHN F. SINCLAIR.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

OpCSAdi DASpELCH 10 Inc star.
NEW YORK, February 2l-"I hate
waste. Economic profligacy to me is
not only deplorable, but detestable. It
Knapp, chairman of the Executive
Committee of the Crowell Publishing
Co., who retired several years ago with
comfortable fortune and decided to
spend the rest of his life enjoying him
self
However. fate was against him. Like
many other Americans, he liked hunt
ing. But game birds were getting
scarcer every year. He began a study
to yearn why this was So To his as
constituent, he found that game birds
decreased steadily for so years in the
United States, while in European coun-
tries they increased steadily. The more
laws the United States passed, the
greater the decrease
So this retired business man organ
lzed, with the help Of some other well
known American business leaders. the
foundation, More Game Birds in
America. Inc" The object is what the
name itself implies-to increase the
number of game birds in America.
Among the founders and contribu-
tors are such we'll known men as Joseph
P. Day, F: H. Ecker. Joseph P. Grace,
John P. Greer, Thomas W. Lamont,
Jeremiah Milbank, j. p. Morgan, James
H. Proctor. Ogden M. Reid, Charles H
Sabin. James A. Stillman, Myron c.
Taylor and George Whitney.
Would Aid Farmers.
II believe farmers can add from
$500 000, 900 to $500 O0O, 900 a year to
their incomes when the American peo-
pie tackle this problem of game birds
IN a sensible way" said Mr.. Knapp
in discussing the work of the founda-
ton. THE United States has gone
wrong on this matter. 1t has placed on
the statute books of the States thou
sands of laws dealing with game bird
protection. all restrictive in character.
1t has been limiting the number of
birds that can be shot by anv one hunt
er, as we'll as limiting the hunting
season.
With what result? Every year the
country has less game birds than IL
had the year before. Several species
of birds are already totally exterminated,
and yet the States keep on passing
more restrictive legislation. Any bust
ness man who planned in such FASH
ion would come to grief. as he should.
What has brought about this con-
dition? It results from the fact that
all the legislation so far enacted in the
United States fails to recognize that
only through propagation, properly en-
couraged, can game birds be increased
and maintained permanently"
What do you suggest be done2"
asked him.
The United States should do exactly
what Europe has done There they do
not continue to grind out new legisla-
ton to restrict further ard further thu
shooting of birds. They aim to increaze
the number of birds every year and
liberalize gan1e-bird legislation, instead
OF restricting it as the United States
does.
British Game Act.
The game act of Great Britain.
passed in 1881, has been the basic game
law Of that country for just century"
continued MFR. Knapp. 1T has been
amended In only minor detail. WHATS
the result? Since that act was passed
partridges have increased over zoo per
cent and pheasants over 1000 per cent.
And during that time game birds have
been and are being killed in increasing
quantities during their long open sea-
sons" -..-....
But during the war years was Great
Britain able 10 keep up any system of
propagation of game birds?" I asked.
L m glad you mentioned that For
the British system had severe test
during the great war" replied Mr..
Knapp. AT the beginning most of the
gamekeepers-12,0OO CT them-enlisted
and game production came to a stand
still. When the British government got
hard up for feed they even decreed that
certain grain should not be fed to game
birds. 1t also made restrictions that
only 10 per cent Of the breeding STOCK
in certain species should be kept on
any gaming farm. Surplus breeds were
killed and sent to hospitals for food
Vermin increased rapidly and took a
heavy toll of wild nesting birds. So at
the time of the armistice the number
Of gamekeepers was greatly reduced
and the number of stock breeds on
game farms was less than 10 per cert
purposes"
Then what happened?''
After the armiStice new game
keepers were educated, for game-keep-
ing is a profession in Great Britain
and should be in the United States
The business of supplying game in
creased until it was practically back 20
normal in 1925. In other words in less
than six years, from 1919 to 1925, there
was an increase of 900 per cent in
breeding stock. And that's the test
for an increase of breeding stock is thu
key to the difficulties in the United
States.
Other Nations Follow Suit.
I'm other European countries, like
Germany, Hungary and Czechoslovakia,
the same program has
been followed. Natural enemies of
game birds-vermin-are rapidly con-
trolled, and the simple game laws are
observed by ALL
You mentioned that Great Britain
has $4,000 gamekeepers. How many
would be needed in the United States
under your plan?" asked.
Probably there are not more than
100 men in the United States fully quail
fled to raise game birds. At the same
ratio OF population, the United States
should have three times Great Britain's
l2,000-or $4,000. These would be
widely scattered throughout the country.
Now let us suppose that each of
these gamekeepers is paid $4,000 a year.
There's $7200O,000 that farmers could
use pretty handily right now. But
hats not all. In Scotland alone S1O.-
100000 is paid to land owners each year
Tor shooting privileges. Many Amer
cans go to Scotland for grouse and
spend 10 times that amount while there.
''You see, the expert gamekeepers
Farmers, If you please) would know ex-
sctly. how many birds any one hunter
should kill. while still maintaining in
act the breeding sotck. One might be
allowed 5000 or 500, depending upon