The Republican journal., 1911-01-05
MlLLNERs AND MARKET MEN
AFTER FEATHERED SPOILS.

HlALLlNERS AMI NAANNGA HAAs1S
AFTER FEATHERED sPOlLS.
Pr tective Laws to be Attacked. Game
and Wild Birds May Suffer.
New YORK. January End. Declar-
ing that the new year Of 1911 is to mark
the fiercest struggle in recent years to
save American bird life from its human
enemies, officers of the National Associ-
alton of Audubon Societies are perfec-
ting plans here to combat the CONNER
cial interests that are plotting to break
down protective laws in many OF the leg
islatures of forty States. Men and
money are to be used without limit by
powerful groups of milliners and market
supply men to rob their 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 or
ganized 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 pro-
tect the crops from pest.
In States where spring shooting laws
now save migratory fiocks from slaugn-
ter at the hands of professional pot hum
ters, the men who stock the market are
reported to be determined to work the
repeal of these statutes that were mace
to shield the breeding birds. Already
the game dealers, whose army OF spring
shooters 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 check
ed 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 storage and sale of game are to be
attacked by the market interests, the
Audubon officials have been Informed.
Most powerful of all the monied inter-
ests to war on the welfare of the nation S
birds, the milllners are today known to
be organizing campaign to break down
laws that protect the wild focks that
they formerly butchered for their plu-
mage. Since ban was put upon their
traffic in aigrettes and the plumage OF
useful wild birds in New York State last
year, it is acknowledged that the sales
of these trophies of wholesale bird butch
cry have been cut down to a quarter of
their former volume. To lay hands once
more upon the mother heron and the birds
that guard the country's crops, it is said
the feather dealers are ready to expend
vast amount of effort and money.
Calling upon the farmers, sportsmen,
orchardists, planters and ranchmen of
the whole country to take the part of
the birds that save their fields and for
ests from destruction by insect pests, the
National Association of Audubon Socie-
ties is today preparing to meet the COM
mercial bird killers before every legisla-
ture in the land. Special funds are being
raised to send pathological experts to
answer the lawyers hired to break down
bird protective laws in many States.
Organizations of sportsmen as we'll as
bird lovers throughout the country are
already offering active cooperation in
this campaign.
1.-THE birds of America never needed
the help of everyone interested in them
for economic or sentimental reasons more
than they do this year," said 7. Gilbert
Pearson, secretary of the National Asso-
citation of Audubon Societies at it's head
quarters, 141 Broadway, today. "The
monied interests that fatten on bird
slaughter are alive to their opportunities
to shake off the legal restrictions that
have been put upon their greed. We are
also alive to the emergency, and with
the support of the people will fight to the
last ditch for American bird life"