PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOLL WEEVIL CONVENTION. 63 



every part of the country agriculturists are awakening to the economic 

 value of the non-game birds. During the legislative session of 1903, 

 in the southern tier of states, model laws were passed in Virginia, North 

 Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia and Texas; Florida and Kentucky having 

 previously legislated in like manner. 



Your convention, in its own interests, and in the interests of the great 

 industry that you represent, should pass a strong resolution demanding 

 from the incoming legislature that the wild birds of the State of Louis- 

 iana, that are so important to its agricultural interests, shall not be killed 

 for food or millinery ornaments; nor shall they be trapped or caged, or 

 exported from the state, dead or alive. 



The wild birds of the State of Louisiana are of far more value to the 

 commonwealth, while they are alive and destroying all manner of noxious 

 insect pests and vermin as nature intended them to do, than they are in 

 any other way. 



Air. President and members of the convention, serve the interests of the 

 cotton growers by demanding of the legislature that the wild birds be 

 protected. 



I am, with great respect, and sympathy with you in your insect troubles, 



Very truly yours, 



WM. BUTCHER, 

 Chairman National Committee Audubon Societies. 



The President. I, for one, after this address, law or no law, will see 

 that there is no killing of any bird of any description on my farm. 



Mr. Glassell, of Cadclo. I move that a resolution be passed requesting 

 the next legislature to prohibit the killing or trapping of any bird. 



The President. If I am not mistaken, the Committee on Resolutions 

 will have a resolution covering that. 



Professor Stubbs. Mr. Chairman, I am sorry to inform you that Judge 

 Lawrason is not here. I am sorry that we cannot get this gentleman 

 this morning to discuss the relation which the banker bears to the farmer, 

 and the injury to be suffered by him from the boll weevil. But we need 

 not go without a speech on that subject. I think we have with us a 

 magnificent representative of that class here to-day, a prominent banker, 

 and a man who can speak well, as I know, Mr. George W. Bolton, of 

 Alexandria. 



Mr. Bolton was invited by the President to come forward, and he 

 did so. 



Mr. Bolton. Mr. Chairman, if I were to come up on the platform, you 

 would expect me to make a speech. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the 

 Convention, it is always difficult for anyone to fill the place of another, 

 and especially one who is so eminently qualified to fill the position that 

 has been selected for him as Judge Lawrason, of West Feliciana. It goes 



