152 WILD LIFE PROTECTION FUND 



Mr. Thomas J. Pendergast, of "The Jefferson,'' Kansas 

 City, is said to be one of the strongest pillars of the opposi- 

 tion, because his influence is both financial and political. 

 Mr. Pendergast is thus reported upon from Kansas City: 

 "Owner of The Jefferson/ the most famous saloon in 

 Kansas City; wealthy liquor dealer, owning or controlling 



a large number of small liquor saloons; the political 



boss of the gang known as The Goats/ who seek control 

 of city and county offices for what there is in it, and who 

 use their opportunities for shooting at the clubs for the 

 distribution of game under the non-sale and the open spring- 

 shooting laws as a strictly political-influence-making propo- 

 sition." For further particulars, inquire in Kansas City. 



Mr. E. F. Swinney, "president of the First National Bank, 

 a millionaire, owner or part owner of several shooting clubs, 

 who wants what he wants, when he wants it, and is willing 

 to go to very considerable lengths to get it." Mr. Swinney 

 is said to be the chief financial backer of the rule-or-ruin 

 campaign, and sullenly declares that he is "going to stay 

 in the fight to the finish." It was he who, in February, 

 1914, aspired to the honor of being the figurehead in a test 

 case of the migratory law before the U. S. Supreme Court. 



Dr. S. H. Ragan, of Kansas City, was in Arter's Hall 

 at the birth of the rule-or-ruin association, and is the presi- 

 dent of the Interstate Sportsmen's Protective Association. 

 He it is who is making, from his one office, the campaign 

 for innumerable spontaneous petitions from "sportsmen" 

 with which to swamp Congress and smother the migratory 

 bird law. He is assisted by W. L. Moore, secretary. 



Mr. E. T. Grether, of St. Louis, is the publicity-man of 

 the opposition. It is reliably reported from St. Louis that 

 "he claims the full credit of initiating, inflating and direct- 

 ing the campaign. He claims that he so controls the press 

 of Missouri that he 'can put his stuff over' and that he 

 can either 'kill' or emasculate all opposition matter." In 

 times past Mr. Grether has done some good work in Mis- 

 souri for the cause of wild life protection. He was a deputy 



