12 THE AUDUBON BULLETIN 



F. L. Pfeiffer, Centralia, Marion County Sportsmen's League. 



Robt. Bethmann, East St. Louis, St. Clair County Sportsmen's League. 



W. A. Jacobs, president Johnstone City Sportsmen's League. 



John Loos, president St. Clair Countv Sportsmen's League, Belleville, 

 111. 



Jas. N. Browne, president Illinois Sportsmen and Game Protective 

 League, Quincy, 111. 



T. V. Brannan, president Cass & Schuyler Counties Association. 



F. I. Trunnell, White Hall, 111., Greene County. 



W. T. Gordley, secretary Cass & Schuyler Counties Association, 

 Virginia, 111. 



The appropriation for the Agricultural Department including that con- 

 tested item for the Biological Survey passed the House by a good majority, 

 but the fight was renewed in the Senate. 



The Contest in the Senate. 



May 9, 1916, Senator Sherman presented a memorial of sundry citizens 

 of Centralia, Bloomington, Nashville, Valmeyer, New Baden, and Breese, 

 remonstrating against the appropriation for enforcing the regulations con- 

 cerning Spring shooting. May 16, 1916, Senator Sherman presented 

 petitions of sundry citizens of Quincy and Oquawka, praying for the 

 adoption of certain amendments to the Bird Law. 



The Hon. James A. Reed, Senator from Missouri, led the opposition 

 to the enforcement of the rulings of the Biological Survey as he had done 

 in the Senate years before. This is the statesman who in the debate in 

 August, 1916, over the "Feather Proviso," speaking of the killing of 

 egrets, unburdened himself as follows : 



"I really honestly want to know why there should be any sympathy 

 or sentiment about a long-legged, long-beaked, long-necked bird that lives 

 in swamps, and eats tadpoles and fish and crawfish and things of that 

 kind ; why we should worry ourselves into a frenzy because some lady 

 adorns her hat with one of its feathers, which appears to be the only use 

 it has." And, again: "If the young are then left to starve, it would 

 seem to me the proper idea would be to establish a foundling asylum for 

 the young, but still let humanity utilize this bird for the only purpose that 

 evidently the Lord made it for, namely, so that we could get aigrettes for 

 bonnets of our beautiful ladies." 



On July 10, the contest culminated over the motion of Senator Reed 

 to strike out the entire appropriation, $50,000, for the enforcement of 

 the law. For two hours Senator Reed occupied the attention of the Senate 

 by a bitter denunciation of the law, its supporters, the Biological Survey, 

 Dr. W. T. Hornaday and others. Senator McLean replied in a dignified 

 logical and forceful speech fifteen minutes long, and the vote to sustain 

 the law and retain the appropriation was fifty-two to eight. The appro- 

 priation was safe. Two years before Senator Reed had been able to 

 muster seventeen votes. He and Ms following could now count but 

 eight votes. Of the two senators from Illinois, one, Senator Sherman, 

 voted to retain the appropriation. Senator Lewis was present but did 

 not vote. 



