Evening journal., 1900-03-13
To PREVENT
KILLING OF BIRDS
Humane People Protest Against
the Outrageous Slaughter
Proposed at Milford.
GOVERNORS APPEALED

DELAWARE GAME PROTECTIVE
ASSOCIATION AND AMERICAN
oRN1THoLoGIsTs' UNION TAKE
STEPS TO PREVENT THE HoR-
RlBLE DESTRUCTION.
Every farmer and land owner in Del
aware has It in his power TO prevent
upon his own premises the horrible and
short-sightod destruction Of birds
brought about by the contract received
by John Bennett and John Ward, Of
Milford, for 10000 birds from a New
York millinery frm. He should
promptly post notices prohibiting muir
derous mercenary scoundrels from kill
ing birds upon his grounds.
Delaware fruit growers. gardeners ana
farmers OF all kinds are financially in
terested in the preservation Of birds
They destroy the destroyers-bugs,
worms, ilies and all the countless little
creatures that prey upon and destroy
fruits, trees, grains, and all that farm
ers grow
II the birds were oxtingulshcd two
generations would bring the farmers to
a helpless condition OF absolute unpro-
ductiveness Of field. garden and or
chard.
Farmers suffer today because Of the
scarcity OF birds brought about by
their destruction heretofore
The American Ornithologists' Union
has issued an appeal to Delaware farm
ers in which they say:
PROTECT THE BIRDS.
The recent outrageous contract for
the killing of all sorts of birds in Dell
aware for the benefit OF a New York
Millinery firm calls for the protest Of
every intelligent citizen of the state
AS has been stated time and time
again by the United States Department
OF Agriculture and others who have
investigated the subject, our insectivor-
GUS birds. including almost all species
OF wild birds are Ofinestimable value TO
agriculture. as they consume millions
upon millions of nOxious Insects. The
slaughter of birds at this season when
they are Just coming north TO breed
will enormously reduce their numbers
next year and inevitably result in
great damage 10 all sorts of crops
through the increase OF insect pests.
The Delaware farmers we think are
too intelligent 10 ignore these we'll
known facts. and we therefore urge
them to use every effort 10 stop this
slaughter.
Another aspect Of the matter is the
law. Many OF the birds of Delaware
are protected by law. and railroads and
other common carriers are liable 10
fines for transporting birds killed con-
trary to the laws Of the state.
Furthermore the committee on bird
protection of the American Ornitholo-
gists' Union has now at its disposal a
fund for the prosecution of violators OF
the bird laws in any part OF the United
States. and such prosecutions will be
instituted wherever possible.
We hope for the cooperation OF all
intelligent citizens of Delaware In sup
pressing this outrage.
WITMER STONE, Chairman.
Well-known persons who have joined
with Mr.. Stone in this manifesto are
George Ii. Mackay, of Boston; +. IA.
Forbush, of Maiden, Mass; William
butcher. of New York; Mrs. Olive
| Thorne Miller, of New York: Mrs. Julia
Stockton Robins. Of Philadelphia; Miss
Florence A. Merriam. of Washington;
Dr. Theodore S. Palmer of Washing
ton; Ruthven Deane. of Chicago; Otto
Widmann, of Old Orchard; Mrs. Louise
McGcwen Stephenson. Of Helena.
Mont; Mrs. Leyerett NJ. LoOmis, Of
San Francisco: A. w. Anthony, of
San Diego. and William Palmer, OF
Washington.
A. ID. Poole. president of the Della
ware Game Association has written to
| Governor Tunnel proposing that de-
Itectives watch the shipments from Mil
ford, with authority to open and ex-
famine any suspicious packages.
The Game Protective Association Of
1 Maryland also sent a letter stating that
funds were being raised to employ de-
tectives for the same purpose. and the
governors Of the three states have been
urged TO use their influence to prevent
the slaughter and to procure legislation
to prohibit similar attempts at the
Wholesale destruction Of birds in fu-
ture
While it is pointed out that the con-
tract entered into at Milford may he
strictly within the present law, II is
feared that when the place is invaded
lby an army of gunners they will not be
lcNANNN ~ AhS law MIS-. OdlDliut Edllt
White. president of the PENNSYLVANIA
Branch Of the WOman's Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, says
that the society had intended to send
!, its agents into Delaware to stop the
abuse until notice was received that the
Game Protective Association of Mary
land had taken up the case and was
raising money to prosecute every man
who is detected in shooting insectivor-
lous birds