8 THE. AUDUBON, BU LE ET tes 
The Conservation Column 
By CHARLES W. KOSSACK 
AT THE JUNE meeting of the directors of the Society, I had the honor of 
being elected vice-president and chairman of the Conservation Committee. 
In pursuing these duties, I will endeavor to bring to the attention of the 
members of this Society conservation conditions in general for the United 
States, with Illinois in particular. However, because of the large number 
of other organizations friendly to the preservation of soil and water, and 
to conform with our constitution, comments on wildlife, especially birds, 
will receive preference. 
ILLINOIS NEEDS A CONSERVATION COMMISSION 
In this Society we should conscientiously maintain our membership and 
practice to the best of our ability the conservation of the natural resources 
of this state and our country. In return, we should at least expect any 
state department to have the power and responsibility for managing these 
valuable assets, and to be free of political influence and interference, es- 
pecially the scourge of the patronage system. The political patronage sys- 
tem has no function or position in a conservation department. Such a 
department has no function in a political organization, and should not 
have any administrative association. Most certainly, it should not be used 
as an instrument of appeasement to satisfy the selfish desires of precinct 
captains attempting to reward their constituent door-bell pushers with a job 
(for which they will have neither qualifications nor interest, other than 
in a pay check). 
We should demand that only competent, conscientious personnel having 
a real interest in conservation be employed to administer the duties of this 
department. Furthermore, we can only expect to obtain personnel of this 
caliber if: (1) we have a non-partisan Conservation Commission, basically 
conservation-minded, as top management, (2) offer employees some degree 
of security such as a legitimate Civil Service system free from political 
influence, (3) provide wages that will be adequate, and serve as an in- 
ducement for qualified personnel to seek employment in a commission 
which will enforce the codes without fear of political reprisals. 
There are several organizations in this state now working on this re- 
formation, and they are seeking to establish a Conservation Commission. 
The writer intends to obtain the details from these organizations and will 
convey them to you for consideration. 
Sf fi fl 
New Crop Dusts Worry Wildlife Managers: DDT, an insecticide that 
created grey hairs on the heads of wildlife biologists a few years ago when 
it was first sprayed haphazardly across the nation in heavy concentrations, 
looks like a mild stimulant when compared to some of the more recent 
products of the chemists’ test tubes, according to the Wildlife Management 
Institute. 
A new crop dust called aldrin is so toxic that 3/100,000 of an ounce of 
