New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-05-22
Plugged FOWL DYING;
SP. c. A. DOES NOTHING
humane Society Superintendent
Savs He's Helpless, No Matter
What the Conditions.
$4,000 CROWDED IN CARS
n.ad Birds Becoming a Menace
to Public Health, but Author
tiles Are Hampered by
Lack of Laws.

additions in the West Washington
,,..sst where fifty thousand live fowl.
80, crops stuffed with cement, gravel
.aS sand. are dying slow and painful
s,,,bs. became 50 bad Yesterday that the
socis,v for the Prevention of Cruelty TO
,,,r,sls and the County Medical Society
-, specisl Investigators to report on the
.,ustlon. seize all dead or dying bros
IA order the slaughter of those still n
10 be eaten.
commissioner Lederle Of the Health
nsrsrtment however. said that he couid
,,E. no action until the dead birds had
leone a menace to the public health.
veterinarians from the Society for the
prevention Of Cruelty TO Animals seized
A., number Of birds Yesterday and opened
,s.r crops They found hard grain IN
ZACH bird. but this is explained by the
.c, that most OF the birds have come
across the river since the strike Of local
dealers began, and the shippers since then
feared TO resort TO any more weighing"
Of the poultry.
The thousands Of chickens that have
hesn fed with cement and gravel. how
sv.y. have their crops so filled with this
material tina they can eat nothing more,
and are certain 10 Sicken and die i'm the
curse Of few DAYS. The stalls in the
rarket are piled high with crates of poul-
nv many Of them out Of reach Of light
and air. The stencil from some Of the
c-stes is intolersble.
The market situation remained IN
changed yesterday. No poultry was
moved. the wholesalers maintaining that
thew would buy no more weighted
fowl The situation was further comph-
Gated BY the charge OF fifty drivers who
bring the poultry over from New Jersey
70 Harlem and Brooklyn. These men say
that the poultry shrinks so much during
their trips that they have been accused
Of stealing il, and have had TO pay for
the loss in weight
Harry Lewis one Of the best known Of
ne West Washington Market drivers.
said that on his last trip across the river
10 Harlem every one OF his crates was
Ten pounds short and that he had TO pay
fer the shortage.
Fresh carloads OF poultry are daily ar
living on the New Jersey side. where they
ere being held in suffoCating density in
their coops. attended IN the most casual
manner IL at AL. by the men sent on
with the cars. and il will probably be
two or three days before all the fowl
started for New York from distant farms
kst week reach the New Jersey shore.
Humane Societies Helpless?
The humane societies appear 10 feel
themselves helpless In the matter Of
plugged and dying chickens w. x.
Horton, general manager OF the Society
for the Prevention Of Cruelty to Animals.
yssterdsy said that the chickens are not
plugged. and also that their treatment
at West Washington Market is all that
s5y reasonable chicken could ask.
He showed The Tribune reporter letter
be had Just written TO Miss Edith VI.
Aims, chairman of the bird committee
q the Womans League for Animals. IN
which he told her that the newspaper
stories Of the condition Of the fowl at
West Washington Market we're a mass
Of Misrepresentation"
Il is doubtful II Miss Aims can accept
this for she had member Of her fam
fy going through the market yesterday
being unable 10 20 herself-and she said
last night that conditions we're horrible
ind disgusting
"ifere are numbers Of dead and dying
chickens she said. especially in the
cars standing AT West 2sth street In
these cars. made especially for shipping
cnckens. they are simply packed together
IN the cages at the sides. There are from
800 10 400 chickens in each car. and
seo is not too large an estimate for the
total number.
Many are starving but what can We
DO We are helpless before this stflke'
We cannot take the chickens out OF the
hands Of the shippers. and anyhow there
Is no use In feeding them when their
crops are 81 stuffed with sand and graVei
nat they cannot eat.
1t all shows the need OF effective legls-
alton In the matter Of the shipment OF
I've animals There are consumers VINO
demand their meat shall be kosher kllled;
Very well. II can be kosher killed ano
ne rabbits seal put on II just as wen ~
TIE point from which II is shipped as at
M receiving point.
legislative Needs Shown.
7 could not begin 10 tell you the
erSelties ] and my committee have dls-