BULLETIN NUMBER SIX 11 



It is not out of place now to recall this item of history, 

 for the information of Alaskans who were young in 1902 

 and for the information of a few who now are manifesting 

 impatience, and even resentment, over the fact that New 

 York still is actively interested in seeing the big game of 

 Alaska preserved on a continuing basis. 



I will not undertake to report upon the efforts of others 

 in 1902, because we can not recall any activities for Alaskan 

 game that antedated those of two of the officers of the New 

 York Zoological Society. Mr. Madison Grant busied him- 

 self with the drafting of a bill to be passed by Congress. 

 Through the courtesy of the Netv York Herald we exhibit 

 a facsimile of an illustrated propaganda article by the 

 writer hereof that appeared in the Herald of Sunday, Jan- 

 uary 12, 1902. So far as we are aware, it was the first 

 public demand for a comprehensive game act for Alaska, 

 coupled with a definite program. 



It seemed to us in 1902, as it also seems to us now, that 

 the very scanty and thinly scattered white population of 

 the enormous Territory of Alaska can not afford to furnish, 

 at their sole cost and charge, adequate protection to the 

 game of Alaska. We think that they should not be ex- 

 pected to furnish it unaided. While this subject is before 

 us, the writer desires to declare to the Governor of Alaska 

 that he (the writer) was the first person to go on record 

 with a demand for a large annual Federal appropriation 

 for the protection of Alaskan game, and that the initial 

 amount asked for by him (in 1903) was $15,000. It was 

 not long before annual appropriations by Congress began 

 to materialize, and now it begins to look as if the conserva- 

 tionists of New York again need to exert themselves to 

 secure a substantial increase of the annual sum of $25,000 

 that now marks the very inadequate limit of Federal aid. 



The present Governor of Alaska, Mr. Thomas Riggs, Jr., 

 has more than once said things in print reflecting upon the 



