﻿Legislation 233 



ties, viz.: "Prohibiting hunting, trapping or other trespass on bird refuges" 

 (Pub. No. 314), and "Prohibiting hunting in the District of Columbia 

 except on the marshes of the Eastern Branch and the West side of the 

 Potomac River" (Pub. No. 401). The former was a much-needed statute 

 to enable the wardens of this Association to prevent trespass on the bird 

 reservations set aside by President Roosevelt at the request of this Society, 

 and the latter practically makes another reservation of the District of 

 Columbia. 



Work for 1907. — The legislative work of 1906 is done, and we must turn 

 our faces to the future and try to formulate some plans for the season of 

 1907 now so near at hand. There will be sessions of the legislature in forty- 

 two states and also a short session of Congress. This means that a trusted 

 representative must be secured in each of the forty-three capitals who will 

 watch legislation and furnish us promptly with all bills, and amendments to 

 the same, introduced in both branches of the several legislatures. Good 

 legislation, no matter by whom introduced, must be aided by every means 

 in our power, while bad legislation must be fought with all the means at 

 our command. 



If the members will give this matter a few moments' thought, they will at 

 once realize the magnitude of the work that has to be done, and that it can 

 best be done by the National Association because of its equipment. When 

 action on good or bad bills is necessary in a state, the Audubon Society is at 

 once communicated with, for its local influence is greater and more effective 

 than that of an outside Association. 



In a few states the Model Law must still be passed. Of these the most 

 important are : Maryland, West Virginia, Alabama, Oklahoma, Kansas, 

 Nebraska and the two Dakotas. In some of these states, persons who are 

 interested in bird protection work have already been found, but the passage 

 of this important statute in eight additional states means a great amount of 

 hard labor. 



Control of Alien Hunters. — The effective control of this class of foreign- 

 born residents is a matter of the greatest importance at the present moment. 

 Certain races of uneducated emigrants are a positive menace to the non- 

 game birds of this country. The game-birds do not suffer in the same 

 degree, for this class of hunters do not possess the skill to shoot many of the 

 fast -flying birds like Quail, Grouse or Snipe, but content themselves with 

 such spoils as Robins, Flickers, Bluebirds, Sparrows, and such of our smaller 

 birds as they can pot in a tree or on the ground. Many of these people are 

 so ignorant that they cannot read warning notices unless they are printed in 

 their own language. Thousands of them are employed in all parts of the 

 country on all the great public and private improvements. These laborers 

 usually live in camps, and every wild bird that they can gather in represents 

 just so much saved in their outlay for food. Many of them have cheap guns, 



