Pennies for Ducks

Gloom descended on U. S. gunners last year when the Government cut the wild-fowling season down to 30 days (TIME, Sept. 7). The Government's unanswerable reason was that Drought had decimated the flocks in their northern breeding grounds. Sportsmen, fearful lest a temporary measure for conservation be transformed by sentimentalists into a permanent prohibition, held long discussions, seeking a positive remedy which would bring back the birds and the long shooting season (in most States three months).

Last week, after three months of debate, the sportsmen were agreed on their remedy. Introduced in the House by Congressman John W. McCormack of Massachusetts was a bill to raise $7,000,000 a year through a 1-c- tax on shotgun shells, most of the revenue to be spent to conserve and increase U. S. waterfowl.

Problem. The wild fowl shortage is the accumulated effect of several bad breeding years. The U. S. Bureau of Biological Survey has been singularly vague about the actual effect, in numbers of birds and among different species, but by last week it felt able to say that the birds hardest hit were canvasbacks, redheads and lesser scaups. Pintails, mallards, black ducks and geese were little below normal. Low water concentrated what birds there were in the good feeding grounds, causing many shooters to doubt that a shortage existed. Bureau agents found such concentrations in Florida's "panhandle" district, in the Crane Lake area of Illinois, along Missouri's Sheridan River. Southern California's flight, usually 40 miles wide, was ten miles last year. Little affected by Drought were areas on Puget Sound, the Columbia River, the Susquehanna flats, and Long Island. Last year's curtailed season, believed to have reduced the kill from nearly 18 to seven million birds, may result in a longer season next autumn, but this is doubtful. This year the Department of Agriculture plans to purchase or lease some 40,000 acres for six sanctuaries, has begun by acquiring 2,274 acres on Long Island (near Hewlett).

Remedy. When the American Game Conference met last winter in Manhattan, it was immediately deadlocked by two opposing factions. The American Game Association wanted a $1 Federal hunting license ("Dollars for Ducks"). The More Game Birds in America Foundation favored a 1-c- tax on shells ("Pennies for Ducks"). Outvoted by an arbitration committee, the Game Association last week was prepared to support the 1-c- tax plan. So were several smaller organizations, Outdoor Life and other magazines.

The tax would be paid by the manufacturer or seller (of imported shells) on shells for 410-gauge guns and larger. Each box of shells would bear a stamp. One cent would be added to the retail cost of each shell. Proponents of the McCormack bill estimated that at least $7,000,000 would be raised annually. Of this sum, 5% would be used for Federal research, administration and law enforcement. The remainder would be apportioned as follows: to the States 55% for increase and protection of all game and for refunds to trapshooters (apportionment among the States to be based on the number of hunting licenses issued the previous year); to the Government, 45% to increase waterfowl by enlarging breeding, refuge and concentration areas.

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