The Audubon Societies 



105 



Dr. Palmer also offered the following 

 resolution, which, on being duly seconded, 

 was also unanimously carried : 



Resolved, That five members of the 

 National Committee shall constitute a quo- 

 rum for the transaction of business. 



The chairman called the attention of the 

 delegates present to the fact that the work 

 of the Audubon societies and the oppor- 

 tunities for advancing bird-protection were 

 increasing so rapidly that it was absolutely 

 necessary that the services of some person 

 should be engaged who could devote his 

 entire time to the work, not only in con- 

 ducting the large correspondence, but also 

 in visiting various sections of the country 

 for the purpose of organizing new Audubon 

 societies and bird clubs, and also to attend 

 meetings of game protective associations, 

 women's clubs, farmers' and horticultural 

 societies, and, in fact, every gathering of 

 people that could be interested in and aid 

 the work of bird-study and protection. 



After a discussion of considerable length, 

 Mrs. Wright, delegate from Connecticut, 

 offered the following resolution, which, 

 being duly seconded, was unanimously 

 carried: 



Resolved, That the chairman be directed 

 to communicate with the respective dele- 

 gates of the various state Audubon Socie- 

 ties, who are not present at this meeting, 

 and also with the executive officers of the 

 societies that have not appointed delegates, 

 and inform them that after considerable 

 discussion it was the consensus of opinion 

 of the delegates present that the Audubon 

 movement had attained such force and had 

 broadened to such a degree that it was 

 necessary that the services of some interested 

 and intelligent person should be secured 

 who will devote his time exclusively to and 

 take charge of the work of the National 

 Committee of the Audubon Societies in 

 order that all matters of general national 

 scope may receive proper and immediate 

 attention. 



Resolved, further, that the said National 

 Secretary shall be paid such compensation 

 as shall be agreed upon, and also shall be 

 reimbursed for his necessary expenses when 

 traveling in the performance of his official 

 duties. 



Resolved, That all of the State Audubon 

 Societies be requested to concur in the 

 above action and to state approximately the 

 sum that they will be able to contribute for 

 the first fiscal year. 



These resolutions being seconded were 

 duly and unanimously carried. 



Dr. Palmer called the attention to the 

 delegates present to two important bills that 

 had been introduced in the House of Rep- 

 resentatives. Both these bills were intro- 

 duced by Mr. Lacey, the author of the 

 Lacey Act. They have been favorably 

 reported by the committees to which they 

 were referred and are now on the calendar. 



The Alaska bill provides not only for 

 the protection of game but also of birds of 

 all kinds and prohibits the export of birds 

 for commercial purposes. It will extend 

 bird protection over a territory twice the 

 size of the state of Texas which now has 

 no laws of the kind. 



The Forest Reserve Bill provides for the 

 protection of birds and game on the Forest 

 Reserves in an area equal to the combined 

 area of New York and New England. 

 Under existing laws there is no adequate 

 protection for birds on these reservations. 



He therefore offered the following resolu- 

 tion which, in view of his explanation, 

 and on being seconded, was unanimously 

 carried. 



Resolved, That the attention of the sev- 

 eral Audubon Societies be called to two 

 bills now pending before Congress, namely, 

 the bill "For the protection of Game in 

 Alaska" (H. R. 11,535) and the bill "To 

 transfer certain forest reserves to the control 

 of the Department of Agriculture, to au- 

 thorize game and fish protection in forest 

 reserves," etc. (H. R. 11,536), and that 

 the societies be urged to take such action as 

 they may deem proper to secure the prompt 

 passage of said bills. 



Dr. Palmer also informed" the committee 

 that he had ascertained that the fashions 

 for the fall and winter of 1902 would de- 

 mand an increased use of aigrettes, and in 

 view of the fact that in the past women had 

 almost universally offered as an excuse for 

 wearing aigrettes that they were ignorant 

 of the fact that the grossest cruelty was 

 used in securing these plumes, it was 

 deemed advisable by the delegates present 

 that every means should be taken by the 

 Audubon Societies of the country to make 

 the public acquainted with the methods of 

 obtaining aigrettes ; also that the use of them 

 had practically exterminated in the United 



