ADDRESS OF ACTING PRESIDENT HOOPER 

 AT THE ANNUAL MEETING, 1911 



Members of The American Bison Society, Ladies and 

 Gentleynen: The resignation of Dr. William T. Hornaday 

 as President of The American Bison Society, tendered 

 by him because of the very great and pressing demands 

 upon his time of other duties in the interest of the preser- 

 vation of the wild-animal life of this country, which 

 went into effect on September 1, threw upon your first 

 Vice-President unexpected responsibilities which he felt 

 himself poorly qualified to assume. The transfer of the 

 office came in the busiest part of my own educational 

 year. I have, however, been able to continue the cor- 

 respondence on behalf of the Society during the past 

 four months in pursuance of its desire to secure the 

 establishment of herds of bison in the States beyond 

 the Mississippi where the bison formerly ranged in large 

 numbers, and where there are considerable areas of both 

 State lands and United States Government lands that 

 might be available for bison ranges. 



The result of this correspondence has indicated the 

 disposition on the part of State officers, and on the part 

 of senators and representatives in Congress from these 

 several States, to encourage the establishment of addi- 

 tional bison herds in the West on United States Govern- 

 ment lands, rather than on State lands for the present. 



Since this situation has developed, and since the 

 Hon. James Wilson, Secretary of Agriculture, has him- 

 self suggested that there should be a bison herd estab- 

 lished in the near future in one of the Dakotas, where 

 the bison ranged in very large numbers a few decades 

 since, it has seemed best that we should act upon the 

 advice of Secretary Wilson. 



As your acting President for the time being, I take 

 the liberty to congratulate the Society upon the good 

 financial condition reported by the Treasurer, and to 

 make the following recommendations: 



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