  We discuss the nucleon to higher-spin $N$- and $\Delta$-resonance transitions
by pions and photons. The higher-spin baryons are described by Rarita-Schwinger
fields and, as we argue, this imposes a stringent consistency requirement on
the form of the couplings. Popular $\pi N\Delta$ and $\gamma N\Delta$ couplings
are inconsistent from this point of view. We construct examples of consistent
interactions with the same nonrelativistic limit as the conventional ones.
