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August 27, 1919 
H» hansom, 
U, S, Same harden, 
708 V. 20th Ass, 
Spokane, ..’ash, 
Soar air. Hansom: 
^ 
For poor Information wo inclose copy of an order of the Secretory 
dated July 30, 1919, authorizing rice growers, members of their irradiate 
families and boos fide employees to kill ducks when necessary to protect 
the rice orope from damage and also form of the permit valid only when 
countersigned and issued by one of the officials designated in the order 
to countersign and issue the permits, Messrs. J, H, Stephens and Chas, H, 
Marry, President and Ssoretary, respectfully, of the pacific Bios Growers* 
Association, Sacramento, and Mr, George Veals, D. S, Deputy Gams Warden, . 
2100 L St. Sacramento, and Mr, Stonewall J, Carpenter, U, 3, Deputy Gaos 
warden, Maxwell, Calif,, have all been authorised to countersign and issue 
these permits, 
* 
1 \ l j L 
' For your farther information we inclose oopy of reports made by 
Hr, Alexander 7/etmore of this Bureau, who investigated Conditions in the 
rice belt of California last fall, we also inclose oopy of the Bureau*e 
Vetter dated August 7 to Mr, J, H« Stephens, eonoerning the issaanoe of the 
permits this year, and copies of letters Just received from Ur. Seale and 
Mr, hewbert of the California Fish and Game Commission. All of these InolO- 
eures are self-explanatory and should give you a fairly good idea of the 
situation as it has existed and now exists in the rice belt with respect 
to (the alleged depredations of wild ducks and the necessity of issuing per- 
mits allowing them to be killed, in this oanneotlon, we may say, however, 
confidentially, that the members of the state game o oasis a ion have always 
peon opposed to the iesuanoe of these permits, but somewhat reluctantly 
their consent to the iesuanoe of the Federal permits, operations undo: 
which are being carried on, notw ithstand lag the state law grants no such 
privileges., it being understood that the operations be carried on under the 
federal permits with the sanction of the stats game department which will 
not ' interfere. 
Share seems to be considerable uncertainty ana misunderstanding 
concerning the authority conferred by the order of the Secretary and the 
pexmlts, You will have in mind that under Section 2 of the Treaty Act, no 
person can kill, nossesa. etc., an 
migratory 
speaifioally 
uthorltv to 
by the Secretary of Agriculture, and that the only authority 
kill, possess, transport, or In fact do anything else with any aigratoj 
birds under this permit is contained in the permit itself, and that uml 
