Nov. i, 1913. 
FOREST AND STREAM 
561 
National Association of Audubon Societies 
Report of Secretary Submitted at the Ninth Annual Meeting, Oct. 28, 1913 
By T. GILBERT PEARSON, Executive Secretary 
The past twelve months has witnessed the 
most remarkable gains in bird protection which 
have ever been achieved during a like period, 
either in this or any other country. 
The pioneer work began years ago by our 
President William Dutcher, and continued with¬ 
out intermission by him and William Brewster, 
Mrs. Mabel Osgood Wright, Witmer Stone, 
Ruthven Dean, Hon. John F. Lacy and others 
of his early associates, is now bearing fruit to 
a most marvelous extent. No such advance as 
has been made during 1913 would have been 
possible but for the accumulative elfect of the 
widespread, persistent educational effort which 
has long been in operation. 
With prophetic eye our great founder de¬ 
clared in his annual report to the association in 
1909: "It is the chief function of this associa¬ 
tion to educate the whole mass of our fellow 
citizens regarding the value of wild birds, and 
the intimate relation that exists between them 
and agriculture. If we can devise some means 
of imparting such knowledge to that whole mass 
of the people, we will most surely show them 
that it is to their interest to preserve birds; and, 
when we have succeeded in doing this, the re¬ 
sult desired—the preservation of birds—will 
surely follow.” 
Not all of Mr. Dutcher’s dream has yet 
come true, but the great force of public senti¬ 
ment is working rapidly in that direction. 
STATE LEGISLATION. 
The past year legislative sessions were held 
in more than forty States. As usual a large 
number of bills were introduced with a view 
of making changes in the bird and game protec¬ 
tive laws. Those intended to weaken or break 
down the existing statutes were combatted vigor¬ 
ously by bird protectors, and with few excep¬ 
tions were defeated. On the other hand, many 
beneficial measures were enacted. A detailed 
account of accomplishments in this line will be 
found in the reports of the field agents or State 
secretaries published in connection with this re¬ 
port. A few of the more important laws se¬ 
cured through the efforts of the Audubon work¬ 
ers may here be mentioned: 
In Florida, after a long campaign, laws were 
enacted to establish a State Game Commission 
and to protect robins at all times. 
In Michigan a law passed to prohibit the 
sale of heron '“aigrettes.” 
The Vermont laws were recodified with 
many beneficial changes, including a prohibition 
of the sale of “aigrettes.” 
In Pennsylvania a campaign was organized 
in connection with the State Audubon Society 
for the purpose of securing a law to make it 
illegal to sell “aigrettes” and the feathers of 
other birds. The importance of such a measure 
was of the first magnitude, as Philadelphia had 
become the headquarters of the wholesale deal¬ 
ers in bird feather millinery since they were 
driven out of New York by the operations of 
the Audubon anti-feather law. The association 
employed a special lecturer, who traveled over 
the State in the interests of the bill. We also 
rented and opened an office in Philadelphia, with 
Chief Clerk B. S. Bowdish in charge. From 
here one circular appeal after another was sent 
broadcast throughout the State, and the public 
conscience was awakened to the support of the 
bill. This Pennsylvania campaign cost the asso¬ 
ciation more than $2,000, in addition to a vast 
amount of individual effort; but the effort was 
worth all it cost, for the law was passed, and 
the nefarious traffic in the feathers of slaugh¬ 
tered mother birds will no longer be permitted 
to flourish in Pennsylavnia. 
FEDERAL LEGISLATION. 
When, on March 4, President Taft signed 
the McLean Federal migratory bird law, there 
was placed on the statute boks a measure for 
which this association had been working ever 
since the subject was first brought to public 
attention by George Shiras, 3d, in 1905. While 
practically all organizations and individuals in¬ 
terested in bird protection had been actively en¬ 
gaged in securing support in Congress for this 
bill, it is not probable that it would have passed 
when it did, hut for the energetic actions of the 
officers of the American Game Protective and 
Propagation Association, whose recent entrance 
into the field of American bird protection we 
warmly welcome. 
The set of regulations regarding the killing 
of migratory birds which have since been pre¬ 
pared by Dr. Palmer, Dr. Fisher and Dr. Cooke 
for the United States Department of Agricul¬ 
ture, and which now have the authority of law, 
is on the whole probably as complete as it is 
expedient to establish at this time. Later it will 
doubtless be found possible to make certain 
changes and readjustments. When this is done, 
we hope it may be possible to extend protection 
to the much-persecuted bobolink in certain States 
where the killing of these birds is now permitted. 
Early in the year your secretary received a 
letter from Henry Oldys, of Washington, D. C., 
calling attention to the fact that some years ago 
an unsuccessful attempt was made by the Audu¬ 
bon workers to secure a national law to prohibit 
the importation of the feathers of wild birds 
for millinery purposes, and asking if it would 
not be a good chance to bring up the matter 
again at the present session of Congress. Your 
secretary was in Washington shortly after this, 
and in company with Mr. Forbush approached 
some of the Congressmen on the subject, but 
received little encouragement. 
Returning to New York I made formal ap¬ 
plication to the Ways and Means Committee for 
a hearing, but the answer received from Chair¬ 
man LTnderwood's secretary was not satisfactory. 
A circular letter was at once issued to the mem¬ 
bers of the National Association of Audubon 
Societies, asking them to write to the Ways and 
Means Committee, which was preparing the tariff 
bill, and reciuest that your secretary be given 
a hearing. The effect was immediate and per¬ 
mission was granted without further delay. 
Dr. William T. Hornaday, of the New York 
Zoological Society, then joined forces with us, 
and together we appeared before the Ways and 
Means Committee of Congress on Jan. 30. By 
prearrangement Dr. Hornaday asked that the 
feathers of all birds be prohibited from entry, 
and your secretary stated that if we could not 
get this, we would ask for the prohibition of the 
importation of the feathers of all American 
birds, and the feathers of all birds which re¬ 
semble species found in America. This would 
conform in large measure with certain existing 
State laws. To our satisfaction the committee 
adopted the larger, clear-cut provision and in¬ 
corporated it in the tariff bill. 
The National Association and New York 
Zoological Society then organized a nation-wide 
campaign for the support of the proviso, and 
alternately issued circulars of appeal to the pub¬ 
lic asking people to communicate their view to 
their Senators or Congressmen. The two or¬ 
ganizations co-operated constantly throughout 
the campaign. Your secretary made several trips 
to Washington in the interests of the provision 
and was in close touch by letter and wire with 
our friends in both branches of Congress 
throughout the months the measure was pend¬ 
ing. 
All six of the regular field agents of the 
association worked heroically in their various 
fields. Many of the State Audubon Societies 
spent much energy and money on the subject. 
Sportsmen’s associations, women’s clubs and 
humane societies all did splendid work. The 
association paid the expenses of a number of 
men who went to Washington to labor personally 
with Senators and Congressmen. Among these 
were Hon. Jesse Mercer, State Game Warden 
of Georgia; Hon. John H. Wallace, State Game 
Warden of Alabama; William Haskell, of New 
York, Vice-President of the American Game 
Protective and Propagation Association, and 
E. H. Forbush, of Massachusetts. Mr. Oldys 
worked for the measure whenever he was in 
Washington and spoke in its behalf when on 
his lecturing trips. The association also em¬ 
ployed two agents who worked in Atlanta to 
help awaken the people of Georgia to the fact 
that their Senator, Hoke Smith, stood in need 
of some education in the matter of bird pro¬ 
tection. It has been estimated that over 200,000 
letters and telegrams were received by Senators 
and Representatives from people who favored 
this measure. 
The struggle was long. At times it was ex¬ 
ceedingly animating, but was never very dis¬ 
couraging, for like it has ever been in our ex¬ 
tensive campaigns for bird protection, we gained 
strength every day from the very beginning, 
and the enemy lost ground every day the fight 
went on. 
No small amount of energy was expended 
in financing the campaign which cost the asso¬ 
ciation something over $2,200. And now, after 
an elapse of less than nine months from the 
