Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1909-05-27
CAMPAIGN TO SAVE
INSECT EATERS
6EGUN IN NEW YORK WITH RE
NEWED ZEAL AND
PURPOSE.
FARMERS WISHES IGNORED BY
SOLONS WHO FAVOR
MILLINERS.

New York, May 23.-Protection of
the insect-eating birds, whose destruc-
! ion caused a crop loss of almost a
billion dollars to this country in the
last year will be made a campaign is
sue throughout the nation as the re
suit Of general movement which
has been organized in this city.
Backed by the oranges and other
bodies representing the farmers. or
chardists, ranchmen and planters of !
every section Of the land, the National |
! Association Of Audubon societies is |
preparing to obtain from every pres
ent and prospective representative Of
the people in every state in the union |
definite declarations Of their stand on |
! this question of the conservation of !
the bird resources of the common !
wealth. Where the forces of the mil !
liners have been able to exert politi- |
cal pressure to legalize their poaching
upon the fea,hered guardians of the |
crops, the people will rise this year to-
demand that their own interests be
protected, it was declared by leaders
of this new campaign.
Representing an industry valued at
less than $12,OOO,O00, few Broadway
feather dealers have just succeeded in
defeating in this state the bill for
the protection of the insect eating
birds, behind which agricultural in
terests worth over half a billion dol
lars were solidly arrayed. In spite of
the united efforts of the $4,000 farm
ers represented in the state grange
and the Audubon workers, who were
backed by The press and people of al
most every community in the state, ii
was reported that the hiring of law
yer whose political influence was
undoubtedly used to prevent any
open consideration of the bill on the
floor of either branch of the legisla-
ture" had with other Vaccinations of
the milliners resulted in legaliZing
for another year their traffic in prop
>
first step in the general national cam
paign for the birds who guard the
crops, the record of each legislator on
this matter will be submitted to his
constituents and every effort made toI
secure from each district in this
state representatives at Albany next
year who will be pledged to heed this
strong demand from their agricultu-
raj supporters.
California, Missouri and Ok ahOma
have just been reported as adopting
laws defending their bird crop guards
against the ravages of the feather
dealers, which are substantially the
same as the bill which the milliners
have just strangled in this state.
! Similar laws forbidding the sale or
possession of the plumage, skin or
body of the insect-eating, nOn-game
birds irrespective of whether said
bird was captured or killed within or
without the state" are already in
force and working for the protec
ton of the farmers in Iowa, Louisiana,
! Massachusetts. Michigan, Mississippi,
! South Carolina and West Virginia
From every other state and territory
| in the land communications are being
received at the headquarters of the
movement today urging an immediate
effort to rouse the pOple to campaign
| for their feathered crop protectors
against the forces of the millinery in
! terests.
eff the people of this country ae
ever going to stop the milliners from
killing the birds that would save them
billion dollars each year if left
alive, now is the time for them to
act. said William butcher, president
of the National Association Of Audu-
bon societies at its headquarters, l4l
Broadway. "a disgraceful display OF
| political pull has this year turned over
to the feather dealers in this state its
wild birds that have been proved toI
save, by fighting off insects, more
value in crops in few seasons thah
the whole millinery industry Is worth !
| Now we are going to take this great
| economical question TO the people IN
| this state ana III every pan VI Wy
land. We believe that all patriotic
| Americans who would preserve their
country's agricu, tural wealth will join
with us to demand from their repre-
sentatives a pledge to prevent the
milliners from further Fronting by
the killing of these insect-eating, non
game birds at the expense of billions
| of dollars to the crops Of the land.