218 WILD LIFE PROTECTION FUND 



Having turned on the light, the result now depends upon 

 the action or non-action of the serious-minded men and wo- 

 men of the Far West. The citizen who desires action should 

 at once take steps to acquaint all his State Senators and 

 Representatives with his views, and call for action. We no 

 longer "appeal" to lawmakers for the rights of the wild 

 creatures. We demand them ! 



Many times it becomes the duty of all men delegated and 

 empowered by their fellow citizens to frame and enact new 

 laws, to lead public sentiment, rather than to wait in order 

 to folloiv it. This is overwhelmingly the case now in regard 

 to the protection of wild life. We are convinced that in one 

 year's time we could prove to the satisfaction of an over- 

 whelming majority of the citizens of any western state that 

 the time has come to give 6-year close seasons to the sage 

 grouse and for that matter, to various other species of up- 

 land game birds. It took just one year to educate the sports- 

 men of the state of New York from a starting-point of hos- 

 tility to the finishing-point of complete acquiescence in the 

 making of a 5-year close season on quail throughout that 

 state, except on Long Island. 



But there is no time in which to reach the individual 

 sportsmen of any western state; and it would be unwise to 

 delay action in order that such an attempt might be made. 

 Even if the legislatures of the western states met annually, 

 the delay would be highly unsatisfactory; but it must be 

 remembered that from March 1, 1917, TWO WHOLE 

 YEARS must elapse before this question can be taken up 

 anew, and acted upon! 



The danger point of extermination is in many localities 

 too near to permit of such a delay. It therefore would seem 

 to be the imperative duty of the members of the legislatures 

 of the sage grouse states to lead public opinion in this matter 

 in 1917, rather than to delay two years longer in order to 

 follow it. 



The duty of the citizen is clear enough, but it is not easy 

 to reach the individual in order to inform him of all the 



