Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-09
FIGHT TO SAVE BIRDS
DRAWS TO A CLIMAX
Determined Effort Being Made
to Change Senate Tariff
Bill Amendment.

AS the time approaches for final actor
birds are redoubling their efforts to pre-
vail upon the Senate. and particularly thu
majority members of the Senate, to throw
out the amendment agreed to by the financ,
committee .and the democratic caucui
which would permit the importation into
this country of "the feathers or plumes
Of birds commonly recognized as edible
or pestiferous.
every member of Congress protesting
against this amendment, and the latest
baethod Of attack has been the adoption OF
the moving picture to show members ol
Congress the manner in which species OF
wild birds are being exterminated fol
the sake of their feathers. desired by the
millinery trade. These moving picture:
have been exhibited during the present
week at the Capitol laboratory. within
easy reach Of those members of Congress-
who are interested in the matter.
Claim Public Sentiment.
The Audubon societies OF the country
the biologists and the ornithologists, are
all aligned in the fight to save the birds
And back of them is the sentiment, 1t is
declared, of the majority of the American
people.
DR.. William T. Hornaday, director of
the New York Geological Park, who has
been one of the leaders in the fight, asked
today:
Who shall rule, the $1,000 900 people
who are interested. or thirty importing
feather dealers in New York;"
The tariff bill as 1t passed the House
prohibited the importation of the feath-
ers OF Wild birds into this country. The
tariff bill it now stands before the
Senate, according to DR.. Hornaday, will
permit the Importation of the skins
feathers or plumes Of every bird species
in the world.
THE best lawyer in Boston on custom
house procedure is Of this opinion, and il
is unqualifedly true" said DR.. Horna.
day. Let Congress and the American
people make no mistake on this point
If the Senate amendment prevails the
slaughter or birds OF all kinds for the
American millinery trade will 60 on nm.
checked"
Dr. Hornaday declared that the IepaI
lobby of the feather trade is one Of the
shrewdest and most effective lobbies now
to be found In Washington. and recon.
mended that the lobby committees of tn.
Senate and House look into its opera.
tons.
Private Hearing, He Says.
Before the public hearings on Nav ~
with the subcommittee Of the senat.
finance committee, there Is reason to be.
lieve that the feather trade had won tn.
members Of the subcommittee" he said
when the hearing opened. the chairman
said to the attorneys for the feathe,
trade: We have heard you already. and
we have your briefs. We do not need r.
hear you again. AS the hearing nro.
gressed, it became clearly evident fha,
all three members of the subcommitfes
had been converted to the views Of the
feather trade"
Senator Clapp of Minnesota has sub.
mitted an amendment to the tariff bil
admitting game birds and pest birds
which DR.. Hornaday says would have
allowed the importation of 2.442 specie,
of wild birds. but the committee re.
yised the language so as to admit ever,
species in the world.
The opponents of the measure are
hontng that debate in the Senate and
nublic opinion will force a change in
the present draft of the paragraph
dealing with feathers. They have
homes. too, that when the bill goes tt
conference that the House conferee.
will stand firm for the original pro.
vision by which the importation of suct
feathers was prohibited.