should join the national government in a measure intended 

 to preserve the bison for a long period. It was proposed 

 that a similar plan should be formulated for the founding 

 of a national herd in Montana, and the necessary authority 

 to act was given to the president. 



In view of all circumstances, including a certain amount 

 of criticism that has been aimed at Congress on account of 

 the American bison, we deem it of interest to the ])ublic 

 that a brief statement regarding the real attitude of Con- 

 gress toward the bison should here be recorded. 



In the belief that Congress would receive with serious 

 attention a proposition of reasonable proportions, based on 

 good business principles and common sense, a plan was 

 formulated. It proposed that the national government 

 should furnish a satisfactory bison range, and that the 

 Bison Society should, at its own expense, provide a nucleus 

 herd of pure-blood bison, and present it to the government 

 as soon as the range could be made ready to receive it. It 

 seemed to be the duty of the iVmerican people to do some- 

 thing more for the preservation of the bison than merely 

 to exhort Congress to spend money, and bear the entire 

 burden. 



Although no time had been wasted, it was late in the 

 second session of the 60th Congress that the Society's pro- 

 posal was finally ready for presentation. On INIarch 2nd, 

 1908, the president of the Society w^ent to Washington to 

 secure the introduction of a bill, and open the campaign. 

 A careful study of the situation finally led to the conclu- 

 sion that success could best be achieved by Senator Joseph 

 M. Dixon, of IMontana, and through a bill introduced and 

 first reported upon in the Senate. 



The lateness of the beginning constituted a serious 

 handicap for that session of Congress; but at the end of a 

 prolonged interview Senator Dixon announced his readi- 

 ness to draw a bill, introduce it, and take charge of the cam- 

 paign necessary in its behalf. His original bill, (Senate 

 No. 6159), was introduced on March 16th, 1908, and re- 

 ferred to the Committee on Indian Affairs, of which Sen- 

 ator Dixon was Chairman. ^ 



In view of the fact that the Appraisement Commission, 

 then fixing values on the lands of the Flathead Reserva- 

 tion, would not report until late in the year 1908, it w^as 



