New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-05-04
PROTECTING SONG BIRDS.
GOVERNOR SIGNS THE HALLOCK BILL
FEATHER TRADE UNFRAMED.

According to the Hallock bill. which has be-
come law through the signature of Governor
Roosevelt, 1t will be misdemeanor, punishable by
q penalty of $50, and additional fine Of SIS. to
any wild birds, other than those for which II is
open season. millinery ornaments. The section
OF the HaIlock bill. which deals with this measure,
is as follows:
Certain Wild Birds Protected-Wd birds shall!
living Dc or dead or sfh the any OF
any part of such birds, be SO possessed This pro
is prohibited between dates BY the provision
row.
kingisher and 1t does not apply to any person
act. Whoever shall violate or attempt to violate,
the provisions OF this section, shall be deemed
Shall be liable to a penalty of SIS, for each bird
q skin or BIRD Possessed contrary 20 the pro
visions Of this section
AS the members of the Audubon Society and the
pathological Union have worked long and faith
fully for the passage of this BILL they naturally feel
that a great victory has been won Frank NJ. Chap
man, of the Museum of Natural History. Is particu-
larly happy the result. after having fought
strenuouSy for the protection of the North Ameri-
can song birds On the other hand, miners and
manufacturers wondering how the new bill is
going to affect their trade while timid women are
asking If they likely to be arrested the
streets If they appear with pigeons breasts in
their hats 1t is legitimate to sell or wear the
plumage Of sparrows. crows, hawks, crow black
fishers. but 1t is a misdemeanor to sell
quail, partridge, pheasant wild duck, pigeon,
meadow larks, grouse woodcock, orioles. robins,
bluebirds and woodpeckers. and the question natu-
rally arises in the minds of many why the birds
which used food under the ban.
Charles w. Farmer. secretary of the Millinery
Merchants Protective Association, In interview
yesterday with Tribune reporter. said:
This bill will affect in the least the orna-
mental feather trade for, far gulls and terms
are concerned, there enough imported from
South America to supply the demand and the bill
cannot interfere with transportation.
Inc Lacy bill, that has recently passed the House
OF Representatives, permits the United States Gov
eminent 10 aid the State government, and has an
amendment which states that the bill shall not
portat1on through States, of birds bird pumage
made or manufactured from barnyard fowl. The
Dill Is also to protect wild game birds killed out
of and all song birds of all the States.
1t is absurd to talk of song birds being slaugh-
tered, for their is brliancy to their plumage,
ana the Inconsistencies of some of the women who
belong to the Audubon Society is interesting They
say that the ostrich feathers they their
sheds at moulting time Just imagine all the
ostriches in the world shedding feathers enough to
supply the trade. Some of the stories which are
being used by women lecturers and circulat ted
through the press amuse greatly, as 1t has been
stated that five hundred thousand humming birds
were recently shipped TO Chicago Now. mat
ter of fact, humming birds have not been used in
hat trimmings in years.
The whole matter be regulated by using the
feathers of birds OF foreign countries and barn
yard fowl; and, by the way, wish the farmers all
over the country would only realize the value to
of chicken feathers, they would gather up every
that was dropped in the barnyard. The most
beautiful designs made in Europe simply from
chicken, geese and swan feathers.