4 THE AUDUBON BULLETIN 



The Illinois Sportsmen s League 



In view of the discouraging outcome of the legislative cam- 

 paign to establish a comprehensive system of state parks for 

 Illinois, it is heartening to note the favorable and aggressive 

 attitude which organizations like the Illinois Sportsmen's League 

 are taking towards this question. 



It is significant that a conference of wild life conservationists 

 should be held under the auspices of the Illinois Sportsmen's 

 League in Springfield, during the last session of the Legisla- 

 ture. 



It was primarily a meeting of sportsmen but in view of the 

 fact that the organizations of sportsmen there represented stand 

 unequivocally for the protection of non-game and insectivorous 

 birds and for the strict and impartial enforcement of the laws 

 relating to game birds, the President and Vice-President of the 

 Illinois Audubon Society attended the conference and took part 

 in the proceedings. The sportsmen's official organ, known as the 

 Illinois Sportsman and ably edited by the President of the 

 League, Mr. H. C. Norcross of Carlyle, publishes valuable news 

 items and reports relating to the economic importance of bird 

 life. It gives much needed publicity to the conservation work of 

 our game and fish wardens. There is no other agency in Illinois 

 that is more active in enlisting the support of sportsmen for 

 the enforcement of our laws relating to bird life. Mr. Norcross 

 is local correspondent of the Illinois Audubon Society for Car- 

 lyle. It should be remembered that nearly every cent spent in 

 Illinois for the protection of non-game birds comes from license 

 fees paid in by sportsmen. The Audubonites are at no expense 

 whatever. This should at least make for friendly consideration 

 on their part of the point of view of the sportsmen when differ- 

 ences of opinion on classification of game arise. 



The opening address of the conference delivered by Mr. Nor- 

 cross emphasized the necessity of setting aside numerous areas 

 in Illinois as refuges for wild life and urged the importance of 

 establishing recreation grounds for the use of sportsmen under 

 state supervision. The most important feature of the conference 

 was the address by Prof. Stephen A. Forbes of the University of 

 Illinois, who summarized the results of investigations of the past 

 two years showing the cumulative and deadly effect upon the 

 plant and animal life of the Illinois River of the systematic 

 pollution of its waters by the wastes of the Chicago drainage 

 canal and the discharges from the sewers along the valley. The 

 statements of Prof. Forbes without comment on his part im- 

 pressed his hearers with the importance and gravity of the prob- 

 lem of restoring the conditions of health and natural beauty 

 that once prevailed in the Illinois Valley. 



Among important resolutions adopted at the conference were 

 the following : 



