The Wilmington morning star., 1940-11-02
WASHINGTON
DAYBOOK
BY JACK

the pigeon bill. It's dead.
There were some who called it emergency
defense legislation. There were some who
merely pooh-poohed it as another clutter on
the statute books. Among the latter was
President Roosevelt, who sent it back to the
House of Representatives with his veto.
The pigeon bill was a measure which would
have made it an offense punishable by $500
fine to shoot, capture, pursue or otherwise
hamper a homing pigeon in flight.
1t was introduced in the House by the rep
resentative from Brooklyn, DR.. Joseph L.
Pfeifer, prominent surgeon and himself a
fancier of the winged messengers. He pointed
out at the bills inception that it was an
emergency measure, that the war department
was interested in the measure, which it says
is needed for national defense" because when
all other means of communication fail, the
homing pigeon always gets through"
PASSED BY SENATE
Senator Wagner, also of New York, had the
bill given right of way in the Senate as de-
tense legislation. 1t passed both houses.
The President said in his veto message that
it seemed like an unnecessary new law and
that if any real need should arise for the
measure, there would be plenty of time to
enact it later.
II am inclined to think there are no Ameri-
cans, or at least very few Of them who would
deliberately shoot or capture a homing pigeon.
l think there are practically no people who
would deliberately remove or alter a message
in the leg band of homing pigeon. After all.
homing pigeons do not closely resemble any
game Birds
STORY BEHIND IT
On the face of it, I'll string along with the
President. Name an enemy spy out to bag a
homlng pigeon and its message who would
tremble with fear at the prospect of a $500
fine.
But if I have my pigeons in a straight line,
there's a story behind this story . and here
it is:
In Brooklyn and other communities there's
a widespread pigeon racket, perpetrated by a
sort of Black Hand of Pigeondom. These
tlends who pray on the pigeon %fanciers have
devised intricate ways of capturing the hon.
ing birds.
Sometimes they send up their own flocks
nearby during exercise periods and thus snare
a lew strays from the purebred Antwerps or
homers.
Sometimes they net them or stun them with
minute shot and light charges from rifles or
shot guns.
They examine the bands, find the owner
cal him up and give him the Say. Mister,
l just found your pigeon. I'll bring him back
put I'm way across town and it'll cost a
~o " ~ L WILL YOU D6V ~
FANCIERS FURIOUS
Inns pigeon snatching for ransom has the
Ianclers furious. Since their feathered nets
AXE important to armies in wartime. thew
oldnt see why the government shouldn't take
a hand. Hence the bill,
Where the pigeon fanciers made their mis-.
take was in failure to provide a sentence
mat would have made pigeon grabbers trem.
pie IN their boots. Death before a firing squad
1or squabnaping-there would have been a
sentence severe enough to make enemy spies,
and even Brooklyn Blackhanders think once
or twice.
l. agree with the President, but 1 sympathize
win Dr. Pfelfer and his friends. They do
nave a cause. particularly sympathize with
Dr. P1el1er for this is the second time he has
tna1nploheo a lost cause. Last year he in
Produced and saw defeated a bin tn nrou;de
mat an gravestones in national cemeteries
should be of the same height. =