The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-06-14
THE BIRD BUTCHERS
ENGLAND JOINS DEsPoILED AMER-
 ICA IN WORLD WAR.
Bi<d-Barren Everglades show Inroads sf InternafionaI Army of Plume
 Hunters--Audubon Workers
 Plan Q Wide Campaign.

New York, June )--That whole regions of the Florida ever- .ladss have. within the last three years. been robbed of every vestige of bird life to supply the worlds millin- cry market with the plurnage of the heron that formerly bred there in. countless humber. was reported here today.
 From several ornitholoRists. who have Just completed survey of this section. reports have been sent to the headquarters of the National Associs- tion of Audubon Societies declaring that where America was most rich in tropical races of birds it Is totally bar rem today.
 At this rate of devastation. 1t Is asserted. the plume hunters will leave this country entirely stripped of all Its birds of plumage within five years.
 Detailed reports of the discovery of wonderful rookeries of the small blue herons and of white birds with hril- liant red legs and bealSs, probably ibis. in the regions where the Harney River enters the Everglades were sent to the Audubon officials on March 27. 1905. At the time an exploring party described the tropical birds in these unknown parts as ''countless' and expressed ap- prehension that their discovery might lead to some inroads by the worlds army of professional bird butchers Since the first word of the find came to the ears of the millinery mauraud- CTS, all live feathered creatures have been exterminated throughout the en- tire region.
 To balk the world wide activities of the professional plume hunters. whose forces have reached and de- spoiled Americas rarest resorts. Eng land Is already taking firm steps. From H kg4~ Iart4t tra h r+h haa aF, ravaged as Florida has by the market feather seekers.
 A bill similar to the model law" which the Audubon workers have suc- ceeded in leading almost every State in this country to adopt, is today be. ing pressed by Lord AveburY in the House of Lords for the prohibition of or body of all wild birds except os- triches. cider ducks and birds used fas articles of dict.
 Acting upon the startling reports from Florida, the Audubon officials de- clared today that laws against the sale of the trophies of this butchery, irrespective of where they were taken, would be urged throughout this coun- try. Although the English bill is even more sweeping than the Audubon model law" here. it Is believed that with proper enforcement the latter may serve to stay the encroachment Of the international commercial bird slaughter Eventually 1t Is the pur- pose of the association to perfect an international organization to check this securing of the globe for the adorn- ment of the nations at the expense of their bird life.
 The aesthetic reasons for check ing this universal butchery of all birds who bear the fatal charm of beauty are secondary" said William Butcher, president of the National As- sociation of Audubon Societies at its The primary reasons are strictly eco- homie. These birds. entirely aside from their wonderful delights as ob- jects of beauty. form the basis of our Nations health as well as prosperity. What the street cleaning department is to this metropolis the sea birds are to the whole country. As their activities as scaveugers are checked by unnatur- al destruction. pestilence and death will surely follow. The birds stand at the fountain of all our natural re- sources and our very existence as well. To take up this hard fight against the monied interests that are killing our country's birds we need the individual suSort--moral and financial--of ev- cry man, woman and child in the coun-. try. It is reported that we have been endowed with million dollars: but this ia untrue. as we depend solely upon the interest of less than a third of this sum and the annual i've dollar bills of our sustaining members Many millions are behind our opponents. the business bird butchers"