126 
THK CONDOR 
Yol. XV 
Northern Division of that organization, on January 20, iyi2, requested its presi- 
dent to appoint a permanent committee on Conservation of \\hld Life, and sug- 
gested a similar course of action to the Southern Division. The two committees 
were appointed forthwith, and went to work immediately. 
For the purpose of this Synopsis it is well to note that steps were taken to 
interest other Californian organizations in the wild life situation. On the 
initiative of the Northern Division committee just referred to, a meeting of rep- 
resentatives of societies interested was called on November 7, 1912, in the rooms 
of the Sierra Club, in San Francisco. Eight constituencies w^ere represenred, 
and after a consideration of w'ays and means, a constitution w^as drafted and a 
temporary organization effected. This was the inception of the California Asso- 
ciated Societies for the Conservation of Wild Life. At a later meeting the or- 
ganization w'as perfected and headquarters established at the .California Museum, 
of ATrtehrate Zoology. Altogether about ten thousand persons are by this means 
bound together in a federation to educate the body politic and stimulate legisla- 
tion in behalf of this great natural asset. 
The organization showed activity from the beginning. An Advisory Committee, 
made up of nearly a hundred induential persons from all sections of the state, was 
appointed, as were also committees on Legislation and Revision of Game Laws. 
A campaign fund of fifteen hundred dollars was raised, a series of recommenda- 
tions as to desirable changes in the law^s concerning wild life wuis submitted to 
the Fish and Game Commission, several bills w^ere drawn up for introduction in 
the legislature, and preparations wmre made to take active part in the work of 
law-making. Since a law' prohibiting the sale of wild game w'as regarded as the 
most important and far-reaching of all measures practicable at this time, several 
new's-letters concerning the proposed law' (the Flint-Cary bill) were published 
and despatched to the new'spapers of the state early in the campaign. 
Three Western Wild Life Calls, the first issue of sixteen pages, the second 
and third of eight pages each, w'ere published. These w'ere sent to the memi- 
bers of the legislature, to libraries throughout the state, to many clubs and 
societies, to influential individual citizens, and to the newspapers. Of the first 
issue there w'ere mailed nearly seventeen thousand copies. Flundreds of personal 
letters were sent out by the President and Secretary. Through the co-operation 
of the Museum of Vetebrate Zoology of the University of California and the 
California Associated Societies the Secretary was enabled to lobby continu- 
ally in behalf of w'ild life conservation for the tw'O months of the second half of 
the bifurcated session of the legislature. On strategic occasions other members 
of the Executive Committee and of the organization visited Sacramento. 
Although the response to the appeals of the Associated Societies w'as w'ide- 
spread and gratifying, it must not be thought that no opposition w'as encountered. 
The Hotelmen's Association of California lobbied persistently against the non- 
sale bill. In some sections of the state the people proved to be unacquainted 
with the facts and necessities of the situation and very often to be violently pre- 
judiced against adequate conservatory measnres. Several new'spapers, particu- 
larlv the San Erancisco Examiner, continually and openly fought the conserva- 
tionists, charging bad faith and collusion with the gun club sportsmen. 
However, the gain as regards w'ild life conservation at this session of the 
legislature has been tremendous. Bills embodying the follow'ing imjirovements 
were passed by both houses of the Legislature, and at the present w'riting- aw'ait 
onlv the Governor’s signature, w'hich it is practically certain w'ill not he withheld : 
