THIRD BIENNIAL STATEMENT 193 



McLean, James Bernard Harkin, Commissioner of Dominion 

 Parks, and Vilhjalmur Stefansson. 



June 4. — In the Eastern District Court of Arkansas Federal Judge 

 Jacob Treiber upheld the constitutionality of the migratory bird 

 treaty act in an elaborate opinion handed down in the case of the 

 United States vs. E. D. Thompson of Memphis, Tenn. This deci- 

 sion is one of the most important ever rendered as effecting the 

 conservation of wild life. It will be recalled that in 1914, in the 

 case of the United States vs. Harvey C. Shauver, Judge Treiber 

 decided that the McLean migratory bird law, passed March 4, 

 1913, was unconstitutional. 



June 21. — Senator Knute Nelson introduced in the Senate bill No. 

 2182 for the creation of game sanctuaries in national forests. 

 This new bill is identical with the original Chamberlain-Hay- 

 den bill introduced in January, 1916, and which died in the 65th 

 Congress, solely through the opposition of Senator Smoot. 



June . — By an act of the Saskatchewan legislature an indefinite 

 close season was declared on elk. This animal is now perma- 

 mently protected throughout its entire range in Canada. This re- 

 sult has been largely brought about through the influence of an 

 increasing number of persons interested in the preservation of 

 the game of Canada, who have from time to time held conferences 

 on the subject and whose recommendations have gradually been 

 adopted by the various provincial legislatures. 



Aug. 10. — Dr. Joseph Kalbfus, for many years secretary of the 

 State Game Commission of Pennsylvania, was killed in an acci- 

 dent near Sheffield, Pa. The automobile in which Dr. Kalbfus 

 and Air. E. A. Kelley, State Game Field Superintendent, were 

 riding, was struck by a Pennsylvania Railroad train. The occu- 

 pants of the car were thrown out and Dr. Kalbfus was killed al- 

 most instantly. For nearly twenty years Dr. Kalbfus had been 

 one of the boldest and strongest fighters for the wild life of 

 America, and he leaves behind him a long record of important 

 victories. See note in Part I. 



Aug. 11. — Mr. Andrew Carnegie, a Founder of the Permanent Wild 

 Life Protection Fund, died at his home, Shadowbrbok, Lenox, 

 Mass. 



Sept. 2. — Federal Judge George M. Bourquin, at Helena, Mont., in the 

 case of the United States vs. Rockefeller, upheld the migratory 

 bird treaty act as constitutional. 



Dec. 19. — The medal of the Pennsylvania Wild Life League was con- 

 ferred on Hon. William E. Crow, a member of the Pennsylvania 

 State Senate, for distinguished services to the wild life cause. 

 The presentation took place at the annual dinner of the League 

 at the William Penn Hotel, Pittsburgh. 



Dec. 31. — The Treasury Department advised that certain prohibited 

 wild birds plumage which had been seized by customs officials 

 in New York, and which certain dealers had requested should 

 be sold by the government "for exportation," was ordered to be 

 destroyed, excepting such portions of it as were to be used for 

 scientific and educational purposes. 



