34 Bird - Lore
thth is nothing to worry about there: we have just started an Audubon Society." as if a declaration \vasall thatwas necessary. you will understand the necessity of the injunc- tion to "keep on pedaling."
As the societies have, for their motto. The Protection of Birds. so, if they would work with any hope of success. they must stand upon one plattornr. Public Education. and public education is something that is as itself. It is true that public education in a general sense has
endless as the race
obtained long enough in this country to be regarded as an inalienable right: but until the lesson of protection of all forms of harmless and useful animal life is so well learned as to become part of the heredity ot coming generations. any relaxing in vigilance in the different branches of pro» tection will be fatal to the whole cause; and tor this reason every society should have special committees ever on the watch for pitfalls.
in every community there are people. both men and women. equally interested in the cause of protection, ot widely dilierent intellectual gifts and degrees of tact; upon the wise sitting and classifying of these may depend the whole success of the local organization.
The committee on Bird Study in Schools should be composed of people ot both sexes who not only have a knowledge of the child- rnind, out or the amount of work already ob gatory in the different grades; then less fault will be found with teachers for "not showing interest " and greater results will follow
The Legislative Watch-Out Committee should be composed of the shrewdest men available. with a knowledge of state poli- tics, If one is a lawyer all the better; he may save the rest from running their heads into legal nooses at times when they most A good committee of this sort will often engage the interest of many men who would otherwise see no work for them- selves in an Audubon Society, not appre- ciating the value of a promise " not to wear the feathers of song-birds for decorative purposest"
0n the other hand. a large mixed body—
need them.
drawn from widely tlilferent corners, the more so the better. can be organized under the head of Committee for the Posting of the Laws. This vast work cannot be done by a ten. and the work rivals in importance the making of the laws themselves; but if fifty or one hundred persons in each state could be relied on to undertake the matter, these in turn may employ local help until the chain is complete. How much more interesting would be the oftentimes per- punctory annual meeting it these three before~rnenlimlcd committees brought in full reports!
One or the beauties of a progressive country is that where everything moves nothing can be titted; it must either go for- ward. backward, or drop out Part‘of legal prerogative is that any legislative session may untie the knots made apparently firm by another. so the Watch-Our Committee must be never-ending.
As any legislative session may change a law. so is the work of the Committee on Posting Laws unending.
As it s to be hoped that children will not cease to be born, so must the work of the Educational Committee be unending.
As we hope that bird-life may never be extinct. on our continent. at least. so must the work of the Audubon Societies be perpetual.
All cheer for tuna, good triends; hold your handle-bars firmly, rnind sharp— legislative~curves. and, above all,“lteep on pedaling."7M, 0. w.
National Committee Notes EV THE CHAIRMAN
Some persons seek work and some have work thrust upon them; this is another ease of the lady or the tiger. We have an ant- bition, as chairman of the National Com— mittee. to see our othcial organ, BlknvLaki, increase its circulation from the present small ltlue to at least too.ooo copies of each number! When this happy time arrives the propagandist can feel that the prin ples of bird protection have taken firm root in the hearts of the people and the ephemeral stage has passed away forever. However.
