NEW JERSEY AUDUBON SOCIETY 



REPORT OF SECRETARY 



October 8, 1918 



The eighth year of the Society's existence, just closing, 

 has, without doubt, been the most trying that it has been 

 called on to experience. The increasing financial stringencies 

 due to the world war, and to the innumerable calls on the 

 philanthropies of the people, during this year, and particu- 

 larly the latter part of the fiscal year, reached a point where 

 large expenditure of cash and effort' in behalf of the upbuild- 

 ing of the Society brought smaller results than we have ever 

 known, while losses from resignations and delinquencies (in 

 part due to departure for military service) have tended to 

 increase. With no decrease in the general cost of maintain- 

 ing our work, with the necessity of increased eft'ort and conse- 

 quent expenditure to offset membership and financial losses, 

 with an advance in cost of postage and printing, two prime 

 items in our expenditures, increase in rent and in most of 

 the minor essentials, the Society at this time, in place of the 

 gratifying balance shown at the close of the last fiscal yeai 

 faces practically a deficit, and must either secure a greater 

 measure of publx support or cease its activities until such 

 time as such support can be had. This would withdraw the 

 state centre of stimulus to bird protection and encourage- 

 ment at just the time when it is of greatest local and national, 

 importance, and would open the door to enactment of retro- 

 grade legislation such as the Society has had to combat 

 yearly, which might be impossible of repeal for years, and 

 the evil effects of which might easily continue for a much 

 greater period. 



This is by no means the first time, in its comparatively 

 brief career, that the Society has faced a critical period, nor 

 is it the most serious experience. While the executive man- 

 agement has used every effort to secure more satisfactory 

 cond^tiors, it now becomes necessary to call on the members 

 who realize the importance of our work at all times, and the 

 fact that it is now a war work of greatly increased importance. 



