320 RECREATION. 
estness, the strength and the ability 
of the men who compose the work- 
ing force of the League. 
There were at least 100 Ohio men 
at the dinner tables, in addition to the 
visiting delegates, and I heard nearly 
every one of these men say that the 
important game protective measures 
now pending before the Ohio Legis- 
lature would go through almost with- 
out opposition, and this largely on ac- 
count of the great influence exerted 
by the annual gathering of the League. 
The Columbus daily papers with- 
out exception were most earnest and 
generous in their treatment of the con- 
vention. They gave it column after 
column, and in some instances half 
page articles, before, during and after 
the meeting. 
The first 3 annual meetings of the 
League were held in this city, and’ 
during that time no one suggested any 
other place of meeting. Finally an 
invitation came from Indiana that we 
hold our 4th annual meeting in that 
State. We did so, and at the Indian- 
apolis meeting a delegation came from 
St. Paul to invite us to hold the next 
in that city. We went there and on 
that occasion we had invitations from 
2 different States for the 6th annual 
meeting. We decided on Cojumbus, 
and one of the most gratifying fea- 
tures of the recent meeting was that 5 
urgent invitations were presented to 
us there, to hold our 7th annual meet- 
ing in the respective States from which 
these came. 
These communications came _ not 
only from League members, but from 
the Governors of States, boards of 
trade, Audubon Societies, and other 
strong organizations. 
It is a great misfortune that all 
friends of game protection could not 
have been in sight and hearing of the 
earnest body of men who assembled 
at Columbus, and have heard the en- 
couraging reports made there from all 
over the land. If certain men who 
‘still continue to belittle the work of 
this organization could have been 
there, they would have changed their 
tactics promptly. 
The problem of saving the wild ani- 
mals and birds of this country is well 
nigh solved. The laws of many States 
are practically perfect, and those that 
still need amending will be made good 
in the near future. It remains now 
only to stop, absolutely and at all 
times, the sale of game in a few East- 
ern States, such as New York, Penn- 
sylvania and Massachusetts. When 
this shall have been done we may con- 
fidently expect to see game increase 
rapidly everywhere, — 

KILL THE POT HUNTERS’ GUNS. 
The war against the automatic and pump 
guns goes bravely on. The best sports- 
men are almost a unit in condemning these 
weapons and in seeking the enactment of 
laws to prohibit their use. There are a few 
good, clean sportsmen who yet believe the 
old pump gun is all right, but this number 
is growing smaller every day. I have let- 
ters from a number of such men, saying 
they are trying to sell their pump guns, and 
thus get out from under the prohibitory 
law before it comes. Others say they have 
hung these guns up on the hooks. and that 
they will remain there as curios, never 
again to be used in the field. 
One of the most gratifying features of ° 
this campaign is the fact that the Audubon 
women in all the States have taken up the 
crusade and are bringing all possible in- 
fluence to bear on their law makers, to in- 
duce them to enact our prohibitory measure. 
The makers of the pump guns are busy 
too; but their efforts are directed mainly 
to the market hunters and other thought- 
less game destroyers. The Winchester 
Company is sending out thousands of copies 
of a decision rendered by a country judge in 
California some years ago, in favor of the 
pump gun and against the good people who 
are trying to preserve the birds. There is 
no question that this decision will be re- 
versed whenever a similar case is taken to 
any of the higher courts, 
Here are extracts from a few decisions 
that will furnish food for reflection, bitter 
food though it may be, for the champions 
of the automatic and pump guns: 
1. Supreme Court of Minnesota.* State v. 
Rodman (58 Minn., 393, 400). 
“ “The preservation of such animals as are 

*Note.—Quoted with approval by the Supreme 
Court of the United States in Geer vy. Conn., 161 
U. S., 519, 533. 
CO OO OO _ 
