The herald., 1897-10-13
Opening Session of the
Annual Parliament
ExTRAvAGANcE IN DRESS
KILLING OF BIRDS FOR FEATH-
ERS DENOUNCED
Vhe Art of Conversation-1nstitutions
and Homes-Delegates Present
From This Entire Section

The sixth annual session Of the Wo-
mans parliament of Southern Califor-
MIA opened yesterday morning in Unity
church, corner of Third and Hill streets
The church was tastefully decorated
with potted palms, feathery papyrus,
Jars of roses and delicate, graceful cos
mos. The parliament is composed OF
women from every county south of Te-
hachapi mountains, and the large au-
dience that assembled at the opening
session yesterday was representative OF
the earnest, thoughtful, intelligent
mothers and wives of Southern Cali
fornia.
The literary program was preceded by
q brief session, after which the presi-
dent, Mrs. Kate Tupper Galpin, deviat-
ing from the former custom of an annual
address, opened the exercises with few
words Of in Introduction and presented
the first speaker. Mrs. E. c. Smead OF
Manzana. who read the initial paper. en-
titled Extravaganza in Dress" The
speaker proved by both sacred and pro-
fame hictory that the love Of display
in dress was early implanted in the
sons and daughters of men. Greatness
in former times declared itself by ex-
treme display; it was difficult to ex-
press importance in any other manner
and this pomp extended to the, vest
ments Of the church as we'll as the robes
of state. In this day there is a grow
tn0 f,,1
women toward economy and fitness il
dress. and this is the result largely OF
the higher education.
The discussion of the paper was open ID
by Mrs. Retta V. Hadden of San Berrar-
dino, who condemned extravaganza in
dress as source of unhappiness and
misery. Mrs. Spalding of Pasadena
rather anticipated the paper to follow
and spoke of the destruction of birds for
hat decoration. In New York a writer
in late magazine had counted 175 hats
worn by la@ies on the street on which
were forty different varieties of fe.ath-
ers. thirty-three of which were protected Il
by the laws of New York
Mrs Variel, speaking to the question,
took the opposing side of the dress
and said attractiveness was a
duty each woman owed to herself and
her family
Miss Kenney thought it might be, made
q matter Of speculation, as it was a nee
essary requirement of young woman
applying for business position that she
be well dressed.
Mrs. Osgood, Mrs. Brunson and others
also spoke.
Several speakers condemned the wear
Ing of mourning and the consensus of
opinion favored simplicity and tasteful
ness in attire.
DEATH FOR A HALO
The next paper, entitled Death for
Halo" read by Mrs. Angie Higgins of
Santa Monica. was really protest
against the wholesale slaughter Of birds
for the trimming Of hats and bonnets,
upon which the speaker gave some start
ling statistics. In the winter Of 1871
there were 100000 birds killed on Long
Island. In one month 10000 were killed
and one firm Of taxidermists prepared
300 skins daily. A millinery firm in New
York kept from forty to sixty gunners
employed in the bird holocaust and it
was not unusual for each to kill 100 a
O., This dreadful slaughter is carried
OF to meet the demand of women who
bow in blind submission to the goddess
of fashion who DEGREES that we must
decorate our heads with the mutilated
remains of our feathered songsters.
The speaker called attention to the
utility of birds in destroying insects,
who, as one writer says, threaten to
overwhelm us with a plague like that of
Egypt because the bird population has
become so reduced. The paper called at
tention to the cruelty rracticed in the
killing, many Of the birds being mutilat-
ed alive to preserve the gloss of the
feathers. The graceful and airy aigrette
which many ladies use who would not
wear birds are the feathers of the white
heron and are secured from the body in
the breeding season The speaker called
attention to the bad effect the wearing
of dead birds had on the minds of chill
dren in fostering spirit of cruelty that
seemed to be inherent, and predicted
that the time would come when the fash
lon would be condemned as cruel, un-
lawful and relic of barbarism.
Mrs. Osgood opened the lively discus
sion that followed the reading of the pa
per. She spoke of the societies for the
protection of birds, and yet one has only
to look in the milliners' windows to see
how Intellectual have been their efforts
She thought all this slaughter comes
of the thoughtlessness,i ignorance of the
facts, ard not that women have been
cruel irs following the fashion
For every aigrette worn on woman S
bonnet ten birds are sacrificed. In an
swer to questions it was confirmed by
DR.. Reid, who had ascertained from the
keepers that plucking ostrich plumes
causes but little more suffering to the
bird than picking feathers does to the
goose.
Mrs. Maynard, the last speaker, pre-.
dicted that the irt1uence of this meeting
ard discussion will be ascerta ana BILE by
statistics next season, in the decreasc
sales of birds for trimming by the mil
liners This closed thu program for the
morning and the meeting adjourned.
Afternoon Session
The audience for the afternoon ses
sion increased to the limit OF the seat
ing capacity of the room. with a re-
epectable sprinkling of men, whom this
president invited most cordially to par
ticipate in the discussions following this
papers. The first paper was read by
B. Weld, president of the Wed
resday Afternoon club of Alhambra en-
titled "The Art of Conversation" Il
was comprehensive, finely written arc
we'll read, but the reader was embar.
raeUed somewhat by persons arriving