New-York tribune., 1903-03-01
FOR BIRD PROTECTION.
AGRICULTURAL INTERESTS oUTVALCE
MILLINERY INDUSTRY.


the form of crumbs are distributed daily among
the birds which seem to wait for the visitors
The little tots and their nurses are valuable aids
to the bird protecting organizations. and the
people who encourage the little folks will prob
ably be interested also in a record OF the or
ganized societies which have bird protection IS
their main object.
Save the birds" is the burden of a pamphlet
just issued by the National Committee OF
Audubon Societies. 1t is the report "t
the American Ornithologists' Union commit
tee of which William butcher is the chair
man and besides the appeal to the public TO
nrotect the feathered tribe and for funds to
carry on the good work, il contains many IN
terestfng facts. About twenty years ago George
B. Tennett first called the attention OF ornl-
biologists to the rapid disappearance OF BIRDS
owing to their millinery ornaments anu
as a result of his warning an organization was
formed and out of this grew other societies
and committees, having the same object IN
view until now there are thirty-two State Audi
bon societies Through the agency OF these so
cieties and the workers connected WIN theih
the slaughter of native birds has been dlIn!h-
tshed to a great extent. They have worked
with the various State legislatures, until now
more than 40 per cent of the States have uni
form law which gives protection to the o4IoS
which do not come under the head OF game
as far as law protect them.
Mr butcher in speaking of the people VINO
at personal sacrifice 'of time, strength and
labor" have stood between the BIRDS ana the
people who tried to exterminate them, says;
They have by hard work begun to create
sentiment for bird protection which shows a
healthy growth. They have employed Warcens
at various places along the Atlantic and Gulf
coasts to actually watch over and protect the
sea birds during the time that they are engaged
in nesting. 1t is at this period, when the pIrdS
in the South are in their best plupage and are
il colonies, and when the paternaI lnStlhct Feh-
ders them fearless and regardless of danger,
that the plume hunter does his deadliest work
AS to the value Of the birds to the farmer, II
is Of interest to note the following statistics
According to the census Of 1890, there were IN
the United States ), 739 657 farms, with total
acreage of SAL 2O1, ,546. The value of these lands
was placed at $2O,514,O ,OU1, ,S3S. The product foI
the farmer and fruit grower was $I,'0S,1Io, '0--
1t is said by persons who have made the matter
a study that insects and rodents destroy prof.
ucts annually to the value of about $-OOUOp"'.
even with the BIRDS as protectors and THIS
amount would be vastly larger # the BIRDS were
destroyed.
The birds are apidly decreasing IN nunIbeT-
SAYS MIR butcher, and unless the large N"
most vitality interested class of the population,
the agriculturists, awaken to the gravity Of the
situation and absolutely demand that no more
beneficial birds be killed for any purpose what
ever they will soon feel the result i'll an IN
creasing annual loss in actual dollars and cents
difference OF l per cent in the value Of the
farm products in the United States each year
amounts to the enormous sum Of I,39l l>'.
Birds are killed according to the report hy
human agencies for three purposes-food. Wan
tonIy and for millinery ornaments. Compare
| lively few are killed for food but thousands II
| birds are destroyed by wing shots for prac-
| tice' and in matches. and many more thousands
are killed for the millinery trade. On the a;ter
head Mr. butcher says:
There is no eXcus. for shooting the third
class Of birds, a ths-r value as millinery orna-
ments is far less than their value as insect
destroyers Besides IhIs contrast the difference
in the MONEY value uc thu interests that are
opposed 10 each other Fy the census of 1889
we find that the total capital invested N tn
millinery and lace trade Was $:it IOtl16 and the
value of the manufactured goods IN 1893 was
S9T 9J9 1876. Place the tWO interests side by SlO"
$50 900 OU)HU as against %3S.tHH',thO. AGAIN.
an annual product of 81. 139,OOO'OOO against
sos OOOtOO! I ask, and wish that could shout
nv question in a vote 50 loud and clear ina
every man. woman and child in this broad Eti.d
Of ours could hear it: Have the mlIliners Wlth
their paltry interests. any right TO Jecpar0IZe
&Va oFofy, oP 4h iDteF6StSY