The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-07-21
FEATHER LOBBY
NOW Is ALLEGED
Bird Lovers Say Provision
Ferbiddins Plume Impor-
tatien Is CHANGED.
A PAMPHLET IS ISSUED
New York Dealers Declared 10 Have
Influenced The Senate Finance
Committee.

Activities Of . powerful and insidious
lobby" have broken out In a new place,
and this time the victim Of these activi-
ties are the members Of the various ZOO
logical, pathological, ane humane So
e.eties OF the United States
BY dint of carefully prepared argu-
ment, which deeply impressed the Ways
and Means Committee Of the House, the
proponents of a prohibitory, clause in the
new tariff bill forbidding the importation
OF the feathers, wings, plumes, and tails
OF wild birds had won a contention for
which real fight against cruelty was
organized more than twenty years ago.
Now the members of the majority SUBJ
committee of the Senate Finance COM
mitree have ema sculated that paragraph
which the House had written, and the
bird lovers naturally and humane society
folk are UP in arms. They have adj
dressed TO the American people a protest
against the action of the Senate. In
bold type this pamphlet is headed, "The
Steam Roller of the Feather Importers in
the United States. the Lobby OF the
Feather Trade Jubilant, Thus Far-A
Warning to the american People"
Text OF Paragraph.
The original proh!bitory paragraph in
D.
Provided that the importation OF
aisrettes. egret pluTnes or Osprey
plumes,' and the feathers, quilts. heads.
wings. tails, SKINS or parts Of skins of
wild birds, either raw or manufactured.
and not Tor scientific or educational pur-
poses, Is hereby prohibited; but this pro-
vision shall not apply to the feathers Of
domestic fowl OF any kind"
The protestants against the action Of
fta - la - .l.a
following clause, which was added to the
prohibitory paragraph as originally
framed by Mr.. Underwood's committee,
at their request:
'-or the feathers or plumes or birds
commonly recognized as edible or pestif-
erous."
The warning of the bird lovers has this
to say regarding the inserted clause:
Under this wording, the skins, feath-
ers, or plumes of every bird species in
the world may be imported. The best
lawyer in Boston on custom-house pro-
cedure is of this opinion; and it is I'M
Qualifiedly true
The warning also recites:
The legal lobby of the feather trade
is one of the shrewdest and most effect
i've Hobbies now to be found in Washing |
ton. From it the sugar men and the
wool men could learn how to get re-
IL o
York lawyers, Leaventritt, Cook & Ma
than, and Finer & Mass. The men in
evidence at Washington are Mr.. Goldman
and Benjamin F. Finer. For years Mr..
Finer has been the fighter for the aigrette
dealers, headed by P. Addison & Brother,
and he is an able man."
The subcommittee, which the supporters
of the prohibition of plumage Importation
charge with having been wheedled into
line by the clever New York legal legis-
lative agents, consisted of Senator Hoke
Smith of Georgia, Hughes Of New Jersey,
and johnson of Maine.
The warning then continues:
The facts are as follows: On May 20-l
the first day of public hearing-Dr. WILL
lam T. Hornaday asked for a hearing on
the clause to prohibit the importation Of
wild birds plumage for the uses of the
feather and millinery trade. 1t was
granted for May q.
DIR. Hornaday summoned by wire all
available interested parties. When the
hearing opened, the very next day, Chair
man johnson said to the attorney for the
feather trade:
1--WE have heard you already; and We
have your briefs. We 90 not need to
hear you again"
LAS the hearing progressed it became
evident to Mr.. Hornaday and to Edward
II. Forbush. the State ornithologlst OF
Massachusetts. and Henry Oldys, the
well-known ornithologist, who appeared
that day, that all three members of the I
had been converted to the
views of the feather trade, and that the !
demanded by the trade would
be Endorsed. Outside the door of the
committee room DIR. Hornaday remarked
to bis colleagues The feather trade has
an understanding. We are up against
closed case
THE subsequent action of the commit
tee has tended to prove the entire &C
curscy of this judgment"
The warning alleges that the leaders
in the feather trade lobby movement have
been nine New York importers, and pub
fishes their names as follows: Jacob De Il
Jong A. ID. Simon & Co., NJ. W. Amberg, L
Philip Addison & Bro, F. Meuer & Co..
Lehman Brothers, D. Lefkowitz, George
Lesg, and ]. Engle Co. |,
The warning, which presents something
in the way of novelty in modern pres
sure on Legislatures, concludes with the
statement: |,
THE feat of our measure, and the vic
tory or defeat of the feather trade Is in
the hands of the Senators of the United
States, especially those on the Democratic
side. Who shall rule? The 5000, 600 peo-
pie who are interested, or the thirty i'm
porting feather dealers OF New York;" Il
STOMACH l.