The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-06-24
MILLINERY LOBBY
Feather Men Are DeCeiVIng the
 Senate

The Finance Committee which has been working on the tariff bill has recommended to the United States Senate that the prOvfso which prohib- it's the importation of the feathers of wild birGn for commercial purposes shall be m but destroyed. Heeding the importNAties of the hired agents of the wholesale miliiners and feath- CT importers who have beeen waxing rich by the slaughter of wild bird life throughout the world, this com mittee has agreed to change the bill as passed by the House of Representa- tfves 90 that the feathers of these spe- cfes of birds which are killed for food or are killed as pests may be inn ported.
 At a casual gfance-this may appear to be perfectly fair provision, but what does it really mean?
 First 1t would permit the impor- tztion of the feathers of birds usually killed for food
 If we make a list of the various birds legally regarded as game birds in the various States of our country, we hnd that 1t includes all species and varieties of snfpe, sandpipers, pIovers oystercatchers, grebes, looms, ducks geese, brant, swan, rails, coots, gall hnuless quail, grouse wild turkeys doves. pigeons, robin and boboIinkS: also the chewink, meadow lark, and
 
 herons to be game birds. Note, how ever, that the provision of this amend u1ene does not refer to birds legally re- Earded as game birds, but refers to birds usually killed for food purposes. This being the case, we will have to add to the above list the nighthawk, roseate spoonbiI, linpkin, sandhiII crane, cormorant, white iBbi pileated woodpeckers flicker and others The above catalogue contains the names of -|.V- .- of wild bird fife in the United States, for many of them are among the most ravenous consumers of injurious in sects and noxious weed seeds which are to be found on earth If feathers of these birds can be imported 1t will be easy to substitute the feathers of the same species killed in the United States. With the exception of a, few small countries in the world, where it is contrary to the religion of the peo- pie to kin birds. there is not nation in the world which has such strong sentiment against the slaughter of birds or such restrictive measures for their protection as to be found In the United States.
 To the above list Of birds we must. therefore. add the names of all the birds in an the countries throughout the world which are usually killed for food purposes and the resultant list IS simply enormous.
 There tS 691C[f&6T n13EHeT 10 VflfkCn we would cali attention. Feathers to be of vzfue to the millinery trade must, as a class, be collected during the Sea son of the year when the birds are en- gagged in nesting and caring for the young for 1t Is at that season that their feathers have their brightest hues and are In an unworn and un- frayed condition Let no one be mis- led with the idea that game birds ta-l ken during the legal season for hunt ing possess feathers which are to any marked extent attractive to the mil lfnerv trade We know of evi-l dence tending to show that the plum age of birds killed. for food purposes is used to any extent in the millinery trade On the other hand, we would call attention to the fact that Hon. William L. Finley, Game Warden of the State of Oregon, found that the Chinese pheasants, which have been accIfmated in that State, were being killed out of season for the feather trade. He found that the plumage of the cock Chinese pheasant in good condition was worth $7-5O in the local market, Portland. which was far in excess of what the dead bird would bring in the market a few months later.
 Second The amendment would al- low the importation of the feathers of birds killed as pests
 No authority, however, is cited as to who shall determine what may be re- garded as pests. Clearly this matter would be left largely to the discretion of the man who desires to kill pest birds and dispose of their feathers for