NINETEENTH ANNUAL REPORT 69 



During the next ten years, the drafts on the Pension Fund 

 will be light, and during that period a good surplus will be accu- 

 mulated. Eventually the Pension Fund will imperatively need 

 other subscriptions, to a total of about $100,000 more, to meet 

 the heavy calls that future years inexorably will bring. The 

 sooner this is provided by bequests and special subscriptions, the 

 better. The general basis of the pension payments is from 20 

 to 40 per cent of the employee's salary, according to his term 

 of service, and one-half that rate for a dependent widow. The 

 details of the plan of foundation have been printed in full, in 

 pamphlet form, and that publication is in the hands of all per- 

 sons who are directly interested. 



WILD LIFE PROTECTION. 



The most important short campaign of the year 1914 was for 

 the saving of the federal migratory bird law. Through a com- 

 bination of hostile influences, chiefly outside Congress, a com- 

 mittee of the United States Senate was induced to strike from 

 the Agricultural appropriation bill the entire sum ($50,000) 

 that had been inserted by the House for the maintenance of the 

 migratory bird law from July, 1914, to July, 1915. Even when 

 a paltry $10,000 was restored, it meant that for twelve months 

 the law would be, through non-enforcement, an object of public 

 contempt. 



The prospect of seeing the best bird law ever put into any 

 statute book for twelve long months dragged through the mire 

 through non-enforcement, was unendurable. Instantly with the 

 news of the danger a campaign began, to induce the United 

 States Senate to save the law. These efforts were successful ; 

 for the original appropriation of $50,000 was written back in 

 the bill, and eventually enacted into law. In the course of the 

 contest on the floor of the Senate, the Zoological Society's rep- 

 resentative was roundly and at great length assailed by Senator 

 Reed, of Missouri. 



The very energetic campaign of Mr. Hoffman Nickerson for 

 the saving of the Pacific walrus herds of Bering Sea led him to 

 visit Petrograd, Russia, in an effort to make an impression upon 

 the Russian Government. His mission failed through a very 

 exasperating cause. The Russian officials were quite willing to 

 receive Mr. Nickerson, and consider his cause in a friendly spirit, 

 provided the diplomatic representatives of the United States in 

 Russia would introduce him. This simple service our Charge 



