For Release, Tuesday P.M. M4arch 10th 
 
     Springfield, Ill., I~varc lOth ----Mre than 50,000 acres ofiland 
in Illinois have been leased as game sanctuaries and shooting, fishing 
and camping grounds by the Sportsmen's Mutual, according to a state- 
ment made by executive secretary, C, F. Mansfield cf Springfield, here 
 
to,1y, at A meeting of the Senate Forestry, Fish and Game Committee. 
     "Under the terms of this lease the Sportsmen's Mutual proposes
to 
set aside part of the land as sanctuaries, to carry orn a campaign of 
predatory animal and bird control and to stock these sanctuaries with 
game and fish produced in our own game farms and hatcheries" Mansfield

said. '.The organization also proposes to assume full legal liability 
for damag e done by any of its memberb -to farmer 's property, 
     "The farmer will be pajid for the privileges extended on the basis

 
of game killed ana grain fed. His property will be patrolled by 
 
skilled gaar.e protectors paid by the organizatlion and enrtirely free 
froe the influence and control of wat~eful spoiis p-olitieians. 
     "Ten thousand acres leased in each county in Illinois, or a 
total of 2,OOOO00 acres protected against game hogs, hawks, crows and 
otier predatory birds and animals and stocked with game and fish from 
our own game farms and hatchieries is the goal which the organization 
offieers have set" said Mr. Mansfield. 
     "The almost complete breakdown in law enforcement by the conser-

vation departrrent, coupled with a failure to maintain and properly 
operate state game farms and fish hatcheries, apparently is one of 
the underlying causes for the desperate shortage of game and fish in 
 
i2ýinois. Abandoned game farms, neglected fish hatcheries, with at

least one of tlhem used for boating and a swimming pool, seem to be 
the outstanding] results achieved *in the past two years although the 
sportsmen of Illinois during that period have paid int- the Conser- 
 
vation department more than a million dollars in license fees. 
 
     "Unless this session of the legislature stops all shooting for
one 
year to give the quail, prairie chicken and'pheasant an opportunity 
to return to a normal population, the farmers and nature undoubtedly 
will put ?n a permanent closed season. 
 
      "Sportsmen of Illinois do not relish the idea of a closed season

but it is the penalty we must pay for not sooner demanding efficiency 
and a wise expenditure of our license money and the elimination of 
wasteful spoils politics in conservation."