The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-23
FIGHT EGRET SALES
PEOPLE PROTEST UNCLE sAl
 AUCTION OF BIRDS.
States Reused To Seek Protective Laws--Farmers Join Movement. Against MilIiners of the
 Country.

New York. Aug. 22.-(Special.) Shocked by the thought of Uncle Sam selling the nuptiar piumes of many mother birds, butchered in the midst of their starving young. thousands of {, Americans have today joined move. ment of protest against such dispos- al of the egrets, seized by the custom house in this city, which the govern ment has just ordered to be sold here,
 From almost every State in the Un- ion scores of communications have been received by the NationalsAsso ton of Audubon Societies at it's head quarters. Al Broadway, offering sup port and urging action to prevent put ting the nation in the bloody business of the milliners who are insisting up- on this humiliating step.
 By its lax legislation and law en- forcement against the bird butchers, the Empire state is alone responsible in this instance for thus making the government traffic in these spells of murdered motherhood, 1t is declared.
 While these costly heron plumes are today held here at the custom house to be auctioned of to the milliners whose women customers still call for the barbaric trophies in their bonnets, hundreds of wives and mothers in this city and throughout the country are organizing to protest against this na. tional shame.
 Backing the Audubon workers in this movement the National Fedora. ton of Women's Clubs Is already ar. rayed. as well as many sportsmen's organizations and granges. whose members want the birls to protect their crops rather than to become the dead wares of a few Broadway milli- ners. From several friends and ap- oiako trd Au ha haAn sent to be devoted to fighting the milliners, whose commercial backing has enabled them with a staff of law yers to urge Uncle Sam to traffic in these scalps of mother birds much against his will.
 Plans to prevent any further possi- bility of the government prof1ting by the sale of these egrets. torn from the backs of butchered females with young, are already being made in this city. State ani federal officers are to be at once warned of the urgency of their duty in this matter, and every effort made by the people in states where laws are lax on this point to obtain legislation forbidding the sale of egrets by government of- ncials.
 In New York State. particularly. the officials whose attitude was tho chief cause given by the government for reversing it's former decision to destroy the oontrabrand heron plumes. will be urged to take every possible action to prevent q repetition of this national disgrace through the Empire State.
 we are in this fight for the birds butchery to stay said William Dutch er president of the National Associa- ton of Audubon Societies. at It's head quarters, today. Although the milli- ners may appear to have won tenn porary victory in insisting that our government traffic in these trophies of the wholesale butchery of mothers who must leave their young to starve, we believe the country will be soon arous- ed to combat this disgrace to the whole nation. Now that the people are waking up to the economic im- portance of bird protection we feel sure that we shall soon rally to our support every truly patriotic citizen of America"