AND 



POULTRY EXCHANGE. 



Vol. I. 



PHILADELPHIA, JANUARY 29, 1874. 



No. 5. 



AMERICAN POULTRY ASSOCIATION 

 PROCEEDINGS, 1874. 



In accordance with previous announcement, the second 

 annual meeting of the American Poultry Association con- 

 vened January 16th, at the office of the Western New York 

 Poultry Society, temporarily situated in St. James Hall. 

 The convention was called to order shortly after 2 o'clock, 

 p.m., by the President of the Association, Mr. W. H. 

 Churchman, of Wilmington, Del., Mr. J. M. Wade, of 

 Philadelphia, acting as Secretary. The attendance was 

 composed principally of delegates from state and county 

 associations, prominent breeders and fanciers from different 

 parts of the United States and Canada, and others interested. 



After calling the convention to order, Mr. Churchman 

 proceeded to make the following remarks : 



THE PRESIDENT'S REMARKS. 



Gentlemen and Brother Fanciers : 



It affords me much pleasure to see so many of the active 

 breeders of this broad land assembled here to-day to demon- 

 strate the fact that the work that lies before us is of no or- 

 dinary character, but that it is a work of the greatest im- 

 portance. 



I would impress upon you the fact that the action of this 

 convention is watched, not only by this whole country, but 

 that it is watched as earnestly by the fanciers of foreign 

 countries. Has not the fact that we formed a national or- 

 ganization for the benefit and protection of our American 

 breeders been received in England, and inspired them with 

 the idea that they must have a national organization ? Are 

 we not, then, entitled as Americans to the first honors, that 

 we have taken the advanced step in this matter ? 



I hope that every gentleman in the room (who is not al- 

 ready a member of this Association) will come forward at 

 the proper time and enroll his name, and give this Associa- 

 tion his active support. It is for your individual interest 

 alone that I ask this of you. I extend to you this cordial 

 invitation because it has been imagined that this Association 

 was composed of a clique or ring, and that this clique or ring 

 was going to revise the standard to suit themselves. Never 

 was there such a preposterous idea entertained by any human 

 mind that God Almighty gifted with the power of thought 

 and reason. 



I hope that no man here present to-day entertains any 

 such idea. Do you suppose for one moment that the gentle- 

 men who represent officially this Association would sanction 

 their names to any such proceeding? I answer for them — 

 No, never! They are gentlemen of integrity and honor, 

 whose reputation is above reproach. I ask you again to 

 come forward and join us, and put your shoulder to our 

 shoulders, and show to the world that we are a national or- 

 ganization recognized by the highest authority in this coun- 

 try — the Congress of the United States — and that we shall 

 send forth our influence through every state in the land. 



MR. CHARLES A. SWEET 

 being called upon to express his opinion with regard to the 

 falsehood above referred to, declared that the idea of the 

 Association being managed to the advantage of a particular 

 clique or ring was a surprise to him. The notion, he thought, 

 was such a one as no sensible man would entertain for a mo- 

 ment. The affairs of the Association were directed with the 

 utmost fairness and impartiality ; and, in conclusion, Mr. 

 Sweet advised every breeder and fancier present who was 

 not a member to come forward at once and attach his name 

 to the rolls. 



At the close of Mr. Sweet's remarks, it was moved and 

 carried that a certificate of membership 



BE ABSOLUTELY REQUIRED, 



to entitle any person to a vote on the questions brought be- 

 fore the convention. 



The calling of the roll was the next business in order, 

 each man, as his name was pronounced, answering whether 

 or not he was a member of the Association. Large numbers 

 of those present, not previously connected with the Associa- 

 tion, after the roll call had been concluded, paid the usual 

 admission fee, and were forthwith enrolled as members. 

 The real business of the day, that of establishing a standard 

 of excellence, was then taken into consideration, and the 

 delegates were invited to express their opinions as to the best 

 means of founding such a standard. 



A motion of Mr. Williams, that the doings with respect 

 to the standard be the exclusive property of the Association, 

 was carried. 



It was moved that the President appoint 



A COMMITTEE OF ITVE PERSONS 



to divide the members of the convention into sub-commit- 

 tees on the different varieties of fowl, and that the said sub- 

 committees be empowered to make such amendments to the 

 standard as they deem necessary — the said amendments to 

 be afterwards adopted or rejected by the convention. This 

 motion was carried, and the President appointed Messrs. J. 

 M. Wade, Philadelphia, Pa., H. H. Stoddard, Hartford, Ct., 

 and P. Williams, Taunton, Mass. 



While the committee were preparing their report, the 

 convention was occupied with listening to the reading of a 

 large amount of correspondence which had been received 

 from the leading fanciers of the country, including the fol- 

 lowing : 



Office of the Iowa State Poultry Association, 



Cedak JRapids, Jan. 14, 1874. 

 Jos. M. Wade, Esq., 



'Sec'y of the National American Poultry Association : 



Dear Sir : Please give the officers and members of the 

 American Association the assurances of the hearty co-opera- 

 tion of the Iowa State Association in all their efforts to 

 revise the standard, and in all other matters calculated to 

 elevate the character and impress the importance of our 

 specialties on the mind of the public. We intend to keep 



