San .■'lian 
HA.’.TIII THATIiSO, Jr. 
Attornoy-at-Lav; . 
Sox '.To. 382. 
AUf^Bt 24, 1912. 
COPY. 
lijsars. John Preso and TT* . 1 * Svovillo, 
7lC-llenoe Oonmlttce, 
San Jrtan, 
Gontl'^ren:- 
ITr. ^aul Lavarcno and t?/c frolnda of his have boon denormood for a 
violation of Bootlon 6 of Act 45 of the Sixth Legislative Assorc'oly of 
’’onto Rico, tho aliased violation conslstlns in tho '.-ctlllng of sovoral 
turtle dovoa (tdrtolas), olataed by the partv'’ filing the olisTf^o to bo birds 
beneficial to agrlc'-ilture. 
I Jiav© before no the oonploto list of birds, which have been declared 
by tlie Board of .A/;rlcultttrs to bo beneficial to Agrloitl tire, and anonsst 
t'en I do not find the turtle doves, riowever, section 2 of tl® order of 
the Oomlssloncro of A jric-.tltatre, ao-'roved btly 14th, 1911, declares all 
other birds found In Porto Hlco to be beneficial to agriculture, with the 
exception of tlie family of Pelconldne, Plgratery IhicVu* and Pnlpos. 
I have the ouLnlon of several e::pGrtB, to tho effect timt the tvirtle 
doves are prejudicial to agri cul tu j'o , for tho reason tliat they do not eat 
worr/s, but feed entirely on seeds and frultsj and that it does great hara 
to fields of rice, com and otiier cereals. 
Cho purpose of this vrltluf; Is to aslc of you to be kind enough to In- 
forr'i ' g , at the earliest possible opportunity , wiiether It h^ s been the In- 
tent. on of the CorrKlesioners <66 Include the tiirtle doves in the mwnber of 
birds th-t should not be killed, or aether It Intentionally left out 
of the Hot of birds specified in section 1 of tiie said order of <bily Itth, 
1911. 
It seoiiis to re tiiat a birds of the fmch Is^portp.nce, If It Is considered 
as beneficial to agriculture should be included In to list of section 1; fmd 
if It Is Injurious to a gr I cult!, ire, it sho ;ld be Included In the exceptions 
spool fled In section 2. 
I liave boon rotalned by I'r, Lavorgno and i s friends to repre.eent theta 
In tag case ponding against then, and I need this Inf ostv tlon for tlio purpose 
of kno'vlr^ v/hat the intention of tho CoKnlssloners of Agriculture was in 
frarrlng the order. 
'Pith advanced t.'ianks, I beg to remln, 
Yersf^ respectfully yours, 
(ogd) ilartia 'Iravloso, Jr. 
P.5. The exports to wilch I refer, are, Plessrs. Aguottn gavarrete and 
Jos6 J. Aonelova. 
