The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-01-06
HUMAN ENEMIES OF THE AIR
TRIBE ARE AT WORK.
sportsmen, Farmers and Others Must
Rally Against the Horde That
Seeks to Stay the Sonssters and
These That Protect Grain Fields
From Insects; P!umage Is
Real Object Sought.

New York, December 2S -Declar-
ing that the new year OF 1911 is to
mark the fiercest struggles in recent
years to save American bird life
from its human enemies, officers of
the National Association Of Audubon
societies are today perfecting plans
here to combat the commercial inter
ests that are plotting to break down
protective laws in many of the legis-
latures Of forty states. Men and mon
ely are to be used without limit by
powerful groups of milliners and
feathered prey Of the scant legal
protection that has been given them,
according to advices that are being
received from all over the country.
Unless sportsmen, farmers and bird
lovers rally against this well organ
lied force of bird butchers, it is pre-
dicted, incalculable harm will be
done in depicting the nations game
birds as well as the flocks of insect
eaters that protect the crops from
pest
Working for Repeats.
In states where spring shooting
laws now save migratory fiocks from
slaughter at the hands of profession
al pothunters, the men who stock the
market are reported to be deter
mined to work the repeal of these
statutes that were made to shield
the breeding birds. Already the game
dealers, whose army of spring shoot
ers out on Long Island almost drove
to extinction the ducks that flew
north along the eastern coast, are
known to be plotting the death of the
law that checked their activities. In
Massachusetts and many other states
similar license to raid the resources
Of game birds is to be sought For
the benefit of the palates of wealthy
epicures all laws restricting the stor-
age and sale of game are to be at.
tackled by the market interests, the
Audubon officials have been inform
ed
Most powerful of all the monied in
terests to war on the welfare of the
nations birds, the milliners are today
known to be organizing a campaign
to break down laws that protect the
wild fiocks that they formerly butch
cred for their plumage. Since q ban
was put upon their traffic in aig.
rettes and the plumage of useful wild
hir,Io in, fnfa
is acknowledged that the sales OF
these trophies Of wholesale bird
butchery have been cut down to a
quarter of their former volume. To
lay hands once more upon the moth
er heron and the birds that guard the
countrys crops, it is said the feather
dealers are ready to eXpend a vast
amount of effort and money.
Take Part of the Birds.
Calling upon the farmers, sports
men Of the whole country to take the
part of the birds that save their
fields and forests from destruction
by insect pests, the National Associa
ton of Audubon societies is today
preparing to meet the commercial
bird killers before every Legislature
in the land Special funds are being
raised to send ornitholcgical experts
to answer the lawyers hired to break
down bird protective laws in many
states. Organizations of sportsmen
as well as bird lovers throughout the
country are already Offering active