14 THEGA U DU BION] BU LE Eien 
previous years, and a bill to provide for a conservation commission nearly 
passed in the last legislature. This legislation aims at improving the 
possibilities for political pressure. In Illinois, the conservation director is 
appointed by the governor, and the department is supported by hunting 
and fishing license fees with contributions from the Pittman-Robertson 
funds. Both the governor and the director of conservation are under 
great patronage pressure, and this has resulted in many weak appoint- 
ments and practices. 
It appears to be impracticable to take the Department of Conservation 
entirely out of politics, but a step in this direction is made when appoint- 
ments are initiated by a board or commission, as is the case in a number 
of states. Such an arrangement was made by popular vote in Louisiana 
on Nov. 4, and in recent years by Missouri. The commission is appointed 
by the governor, who is then relieved of political patronage pressure, if 
he wishes to be, and can only make suggestions to the commission. The 
members of the commission are appointed for six years on “staggered” 
terms, and they appoint the director and other officers of the department, 
including the game wardens. The arrangement aims at securing appoint- 
ments by more than one governor unless he is reelected; the commission 
must be bipartisan. 
A great difficulty in any system of appointment of the director is that 
the people who are most aggressive in asking for appointments are the 
vote getters and the sportsmen. Some of the sportsmen are enlightened 
conservationally, but many are not. However, the commission arrange- 
ment appears to work better than what Illinois has. 
Too small a number of people are interested enough in conservation 
to give effective support to wildlife legislation and its enforcement. The 
bird watchers, of course, do not like extermination or scarcity of birds, 
but not many of them do much about it. That we have as many birds as 
still exist is due mostly to their ability to fly. 
When this was written, it was reported that legislation on a conser- 
vation commission would probably not be attempted in this session of 
the legislature of Illinois, but would be delayed until 1954. Meanwhile, 
we should be studying the program and getting ready. Statewide promotion 
was conducted in Missouri and Louisiana in order to achieve success. 
5716 Stony Island Ave., Chicago 
The Chicago Ornithological Society 
By Mrs. THERON WASSON 
THE CHICAGO ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY now meets the third Wednesday 
evening of each month, rather than Tuesday. The place of meeting has 
also been changed from the Chicago Natural History Museum to the 
Central Y.M.C.A., 19 So. La Salle St. Members who wish, have dinner 
together at 6:50 p.m. The forty-five minutes between dinner and the 
formal meeting (which begins at 8:00 p.m.) is spent in exchanging bird- 
ing experiences and as a social hour. 
The Society is working on the manuscript of “Birds of the Chicago 
