The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1909-05-27
FOR BIRD CROP GUARDS

| oSAhANAS0s
Campaign to Save Insect Eaters WIN s.....
Nation. Milliners Now Plumber F,r,.-.
Feathered Forces. Appeal to People Re
gun.
New YORK, May "a. Protection O,
the insect-eating birds, whose destruc.
tlon caused crop loss of almost billion
dollars to this country in the last year
will be made a campaign issue through.
out the nation as the result of a general
movement organized in this city. Backed
by the oranges and other bodies repre-.
senting the farmers, orchardists, ranch
men and planters of every section of the
land the National Association of Audi.
bon Societies is preparing to obtain from
every present and prospective represen.
tative 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 commonwealth.
Where the forces of the milliners have
been able to exert political pressure to
legalize their poaching upon the feath-
cred guardians of the crops, the people
will rise this year to demand that their
own interests be protected, it was declar-
ed by leaders of this new campaign to-
day.
Representing an industry valued at
less than $l2, 900, a few Broadway
feather dealers have just succeeded in
defeating in this State the Francis bill
tor the protection of the nsect-eating
birds, behind which agricultural inter-
ests worth over half a billion dollars were
solldly arrayed. In spite of the united
efforts of the $4,000 farmers represented
in the State Grange and the Audubon
workers, who were backed by the press
and people of almost every community in
the State, it is reported that the hiring
OF lawyer whose political influence
was undoubtedly used to prevent any
open consideration of the bill on the floor
OF either branch of the Legislature" had,
with other Vaccinations of the miliners,
resulted in legalizing for another year
their traffic in property that belongs to
the State. AS first step in the general
national campaign for the birds who
guard the crops, the record of each legis-
lator on this matter will be submitted to
his constituents and every effort made to
secure from each district in this State
representatives at Albany next year who
will be pledged to heed this strong de-
mand from their agricultural supporters
California, Missouri and Oklahoma have
Just been reported as adopting laws de-
Tending their bird crop guards against
the ravages of the feather dealers, which
are substantially the same as the bill
which the milliners have inst strangled
in this State. Similar laws forbidding
the sale or possession of the plumage
skin or body of the insect-eating, nom
game birds, irrespective of whether said
birds was captured or killed within or
without the State" are already in force
and working for the protection Of the
| farmers in Iowa, Louisiana, Massachu-
sets, Michigan, Mississippi, South Caro-
lima and West Virginia. From every
other State and territory in the land
communications are being received at the
headquarters of the movement urging an
immediate effort to rouse the people to
campaign for their feathered crop pro-
tectors against the forces of the millinery
| interests.