SECOND BIENNIAL STATEMENT 119 



be remembered. At a luncheon at which about 150 sports- 

 men and business men were present, the representative of 

 the Permanent Fund made an address on the present status 

 of wild life, and the duty of Minnesota in the immediate 

 future. Our plan for game sanctuaries in national forests 

 was fully set forth, and it met with cordial and unanimous 

 support. 



Concerning the duties of Minnesota, we made a strong 

 appeal for the saving of the fast disappearing pinnated 

 grouse, or prairie chicken, which appears to be plentiful in 

 one locality only, and elsewhere is growing alarmingly 

 scarce. The demand was made partly in behalf of the pres- 

 ervation of the fine sport of chicken-shooting from the ex- 

 tinction which threatens it, and the assembly was warned 

 that it must at once choose between a close season of five 

 years or one for 500 years. 



The meeting was by no means wholly convinced of the 

 soundness of our argument, or the urgency of the case. 

 Many of our hearers then thought a long close season was 

 unnecessary ; and no action was taken. 



But mark the result. 



No sooner had the autumn prairie-chicken season opened 

 and gotten fairly under way, than from all over the state 

 there began to come alarming reports of great scarcity in 

 birds ! The press commented upon it, and the Minneapolis 

 Journal inaugurated a vigorous editorial campaign for the 

 proposed close season, which has been continued down to 

 date most convincingly. The editor specially active in this 

 cause is Winthrop B. Chamberlain. 



Finally, in 1916, at the first annual convention of the State 

 League, after full consideration a resolution was adopted, 

 by a large majority vote, declaring for immediate action by 

 the next legislature for a five-year period of rest and recup- 

 eration for the harassed and decimated pinnated grouse. 



The state League was duly organized on August 27, 

 and christened the "Minnesota State Game Protective 



