Epiville Mayor Urges Stork Protection (1910) Mayor Phinneaus P. Sydenstricker hailed the new science of statistics in his plan to combat the decline in the city's birth rate. By telegraph, Mayor Sydenstricker released the following statement: "The statistical sciences have clearly shown a reduction in both the Epiville stork population and in the birth rate of new citizens of Epiville over the past 30 years! If these trends continue, who is going to work in our factories in the generations to come? Thus, I propose increasing the number of storks so the birth rate will also increase." Opponents of the Mayor's plan, including the powerful NMA (the National Musket Association) claimed that protecting the storks restricted citizen's individual rights to shoot any animal they see fit to. Other critics have questioned whether this new statistical science could be counted on to prove that the increase in the stork population would cause the increase in the birth rates. Despite the criticism, Mayor Sydenstricker is undeterred. "I want to be remembered as the Mayor who saved the storks, and therefore the babies. Hopefully, in 100 years from now, Epiville will be a thriving center of industryas well as a major stop on the bird-watching circuit." Storks and Babies in E piville 1200 1000 50 Stork Population (thousands] 800 40 600 Birth Rate [per 1000) Storks Birth Parte 400 200 1870 1874 1878 1882 1880 1 890 1894 1898 1902 1906 1910 The Epiville Press May 17, 1910