THNCIERS' JOURNAL 



481 



F363 



BIRD 



AND 



POULTRY EXCHANGE. 



Vol. I. 



PHILADELPHIA, JUNE 4, 1874. 



No. 23. 



(For Fanciers' Journal.) 



A NATIONAL POULTRY ASSOCIATION. 



It is not my purpose in this paper to discuss the question 

 whether a National Poultry Association is or is not a neces- 

 sity, for I am not as yet fully persuaded that we have advan- 

 ced sufficiently far in our poultry experience to know with 

 any degree of certainty, what are our needs in this direction, 

 or the best method by which they can be supplied. The 

 poultry interest is increasing with wonderful rapidity, and 

 with its growth will naturally arise questions of greater or 

 less importance, to be met and solved by some competent 

 authority — questions as to the worth or worthlessness of 

 standards ; of their application ; of classification of breeds ; 

 of synonyms ; of rules for judging ; and many others, which 

 it will become necessary, from time to time, to settle beyond 

 dispute or doubt. The authority to thus settle all these 

 questions has been assumed by the National Poultry Asso- 

 ciation (so called), and we are asked to accept its decisions 

 and its dictum as the law of the land, in all that pertains to 

 poul trymatters. It says in Article 2 of its Constitution : — 

 " The object of this Association shall always be for the per- 

 fection of the American Standard of Excellence, and to 

 consider and discuss all matters of a national character, re- 

 garding the poultry interest at large." This may be all 

 very well, but let us ask from whom has this Association — 

 which asks so much from us — received its authority to lay 

 down the law in all poultry matters of a national character ; 

 or revise or compile a standard which shall be an infallible 

 guide to the amateur, and an inflexible law to the judges; 

 or by what method of reasoning does it assume a national 

 character in its organization ? Most assuredly, its organi- 

 zation at Buffalo, in 1873, and its subsequent action in Jan- 

 uary, 1874, have given a color to the impression, which has 

 in more than one instance found expression., that it partook 

 much more of the character of a close corporation than of a 

 " National Association." If, in its assumption of a national 

 character, it expects to command that respect and following 

 which should readily be awarded to such an Association, 

 I greatly fear that it is destined to a disappointment of its 

 hopes, and the realization of the fact that for such a mission 

 its present organization is radically defective. A truly 

 National Association should be composed of members duly 

 accredited by the various local societies only, which would 

 give it a national character in the same way in which the 

 Congress of the United States is national, and then all the 

 local societies would have an interest in its organization, 

 and a voice in all its deliberations. Again, in my judgment, 

 a National Association should not attempt to do too much, 

 but should constitute a sort of Court of Appeals for the 

 settlement of all questions which may be submitted to its 

 considerations, and which the local societies do not desire 

 or f«el competent to decide, leaving all minor issues to be 

 settled by each local society in its own way. I question 

 very much the propriety, even of a National' Association 



laying down any fixed rule or law for the government of 

 judges at the local shows, or of holding any national exhi- 

 bition as has been proposed, for the reason that all such 

 attempts are apt to result in failure, and bring in their train 

 a certain loss of dignity, and consequently of influence. 

 The attempt of the present National Association to revise 

 the standard is an instance of this. The standard is every- 

 where pronounced to be a failure, and the Association has 

 lost in dignity and influence by an attempt to do what it 

 was unable to accomplish. Its eflbrt reminds one of "the 

 near-sighted hen, who mistook sawdust for Indian meal, 

 partook bountifully, and then laid a nest full of pine knots." 

 But the poultry men of America do not propose to accept 

 the pine knots for eggs. 



If, therefore, the National Association will reorganize by 

 accepting duly accredited delegates from local societies only, 

 as members, and confine itself to considerations and discus- 

 sions " of all matters of a national character, regarding the 

 poultry interest at large," and such other questions as may 

 be submitted to its consideration by the local societies, and 

 will not tread upon the corns of the local societies by any 

 imperative law in regard to local matters, I doubt not we 

 may have a strong and influential society, which will be a 

 great assistant to all local organizations, and command 

 respect and sympathy from all who are interested in poultry. 



B. Leghorn. 



C A. SWEET vs. A. M. HALSTED. 



Me. Editor: 



I desire to state some facts in connection with the expul- 

 sion of A. M. Halsted from the American Poultry Associa- 

 tion, and what I have to say is not for the purpose of 

 entering into any controversy, but simply to place before 

 the public a fair statement of the circumstances that induced 

 the Association, through its Executive Committee, to expel 

 Mr. Halsted. 



The Convention of the American Poultry Association and 

 the exhibition of the Western New York Poultry Society 

 were held simultaneously, and in the same building, in the 

 city of Buffalo. The entrance to the room in which the 

 Convention was held was through the hall in which said 

 exhibition was being held. The Western New York Poultry 

 Society authorized its President to furnish complimentary 

 season tickets for the exhibition to all delegates to the Con- 

 vention. On the morning of the day that the Convention 

 was to assemble, Mr. Halsted, and a gentleman whom Mr. 

 Halsted introduced to me as Mr. Willis, appeared at the 

 exhibition. Mr. Halsted informed me that Mr. Willis, Mr. 

 Keid, and himself had been appointed delegates to the Con- 

 vention by the New York State Poultry Society, and that 

 Mr. Keid was unable to be present. I, as President of the 

 Western New York Poultry Society, gave Mr. Halsted a 

 complimentary fgrjnmsej^ ani ^ one ma( 3e out in the name 

 which latter Mr. Halsted handed to the man 



