ADDRESSES OF MAJOR LACEY 189 



fully, and yet our leading citizens and those who would 

 be shocked to be termed "law breakers," do not hesitate 

 to order the game served to them and encourage by their 

 willingness to eat it, the continual breaking of these state 

 laws. A national law is more apt to be respected, so that 

 if the conservation of game and fish and song birds and 

 insectivorous birds is undertaken by the United States 

 government, better results will follow. 



I am sorry that legal complications at present seem to 

 block a straightforward way of accomplishing the pur- 

 pose, but I suppose one of the purposes of this committee 

 is to suggest some remedy whereby the conservation of 

 these natural resources can be practically applied. 



I shall be glad to hear from you at your convenience. 



Yours truly, 



W. B. Meeshon. 

 Hon. John F. Lacey, 



Oskaloosa, Iowa. 



MAJOR LACEY *S REPLY 



Oskaloosa, Iowa, December 30, 1909. 

 Wm. B. Mershon, 



Saginaw, Mich. 



Dear Sir : Your letter of November 30th came to hand 

 in due time, together with the enclosures referred to. 



I am glad to know that you are chairman of this section 

 of the conservation committee. Your painstaking study 

 of the practical extermination of the passenger pigeon 

 shows that you will not be an inactive member. 



In answer to your inquiry: "Will you give me your 

 idea on what our committee can suggest that will bring 

 forward some plan for the conservation of game?" I take 

 pleasure in answering that during my sixteen years ' ser- 

 vice in Congress on the committee on public lands I was 

 constantly confronted with the necessity of legislation 



