44 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



As no diminution occurred before, and no increase appears since the passage of the 

 restrictive laws, we fail to sec any benefit to those States from the adoption of suchl 

 measures, but a loss to the industries of these States to the measure of their respec- 

 tive interest in the business. 



There seems to be a popular idea that legislation is a remedy for all the evils 

 relating to the fisheries, when in truth it is as impotent to effect the purpose desired 

 as an edict of Pharaoh against the pests of Egypt would have been, liepression or 

 restriction is asked for, until we have been led to think that fishing was no longer 

 looked upon as a legitimate or proper occupation. Nor have they stopped at legis- 

 lative restriction of the fisheries in public waters, but have restricted the sale of the 

 product of one's own toil upon his own private domain. 



As has been suggested to the Commissioners, if they go too far they will find that 



the people will have no further use for such masters. No doubt something like this 



led the governor of New York in a recent message to say of commissioners of fisheries : 



Their efforts should be directed mainly, however, to increasing the supply of food-fish. Merely as 

 conservators of sportsmen's interests their official existence and powers would scarcely be justified 

 by the tax-paying public. The scope of their responsibility and the measure of their opportunity are 

 much wider than is prescribed by any such narrow field. 



In the fresh-water ponds and streams the fish are very much restricted in their 

 movements, and it is doubtless possible to destroy the fishing in them by reckless use 

 of means that would be ineffective in the ocean. It appears that very many of those 

 interested in fishes got their experience in the fresh-water fishery, and there learned 

 the necessity of repressing reckless methods that were working the rapid destruction 

 in the streams and ponds of fish in a manner both cruel and wanton. It is not strange 

 that with such early experience they are often led to apply the same measures to our 

 free ocean fisheries and sometimes overlook the interests and magnify the evils of the 

 industrial sea fisheries. To have any just appreciation of this subject one should be 

 in touch with the fisheries and those engaged in them. 



The investigator, not too much biased, soon learns to distrust the knowledge he 

 began with and felt so confident of; and after years of patient research and earnest 

 study he is not a little chagrined when he sums up his knowledge to find how little 

 he knows or rather how much he does not know. We deem it an evidence of progress 

 in the investigator when he has learned how little he knows. We have met those 

 who knew it all to begin with, but never found such to advance a step. Such men 

 will not stop to reason or abide the demonstration of facts; they are content to con- 

 demn all who differ, and, like the old lady, think it strange all such are always in the 

 wrong. 



We are aware of the place they will assign us. We are also aware that we may 

 be taking the least popular side of the question, but it is a satisfaction to us that 

 when we undertook the duties of fish commissioner we were pledged to no particular 

 measures or men, and we trust we shall always be found giving our best services to 

 the duties devolving upon us, but never forgetting that we are also citizens and are 

 ready to become private citizens as soon as the public good can be better served. But 

 while holding the position we will endeavor at least to be candid and impartial in tlie 

 discussion of all questions, suppressing no facts nor exaggerating any statement to 

 advance one side or the other of a controversy. 



