

ANCIERS’ JOURNAL 
AND 
Peete YY HXCE ANGE. 
Vou. I. 
PHILADELPHIA, JUNE 4, 1874. 
No. 23. 


(For Fanciers’ Journal.) 
A NATIONAL POULTRY ASSOCIATION. 
Ir is not my purpose in this paper to discuss the question 
whether a National Poultry Association is or is not a neces- 
sity, for Iam notas 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 & 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 allits 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 feel 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 effort 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. i 
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. Leeuorn. 


C. A. SWEET vs. A. M. HALSTED. 
Mr. Epiror: 
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. 
Reid, and himself had been appointed delegates to the Con- 
vention by the New York State Poultry Society, and that 
Mr. Reid was unable to be present. I, as President of the 
Western New York Poultry Society, gave Mr. Halsted a 
complimentary for himself and one made out in the name 
of Mr. Willis, which latter Mr. Halsted handed to the man 
