PACIFIC SALMON FISHERIES. 101 



residence for license purposes from State to State as the laws of one 

 or the other best suited their particular purposes. 



The fishermen and packers also were in apparently irreconcilable 

 conflict as to the proper means to be taken to conserve the fisheries, 

 and each session of the legislatures saw strong lobbies present to 

 work for certain selfish ends, while the few earnest men who had the 

 real welfare of the fisheries of the river at heart had difficulty in 

 making the slightest headway against the influence of these lobbies. 



To further complicate the matter, in 1894 Oregon claimed that, 

 under the provisions of the enabling act admitting it as a State, it 

 had jurisdiction to the Washington shore, and proceeded to arrest 

 Washington men who were fishing in what was the open season 

 according to Washington law but the closed season under Oregon law. 



In June, 1908, the voters of the State of Oregon had presented for 

 tlieir consideration two bills radically affecting the waters of Columbia 

 River. One proposed closing the river east of the mouth of the Sandy 

 River against all fishing of any kind except with hook and line, and 

 was originated bv gill-net fishermen of the lower river for the purpose 

 of eliminating fisli wheels in the upper waters. This bill was the first 

 presented to the people, and when it appeared the upriver men 

 retaliated by presenting a bill affecting the lower river to such an 

 extent that it practically prohibited the net fishermen from operating. 



Very much to the surprise of all concerned both bills were passed 

 and became laws on July 1, to take eff'ect, as provided, on August 25 

 and September 10, respectively. The Oregon master fish warden 

 proceeded to enforce both laws, arresting all violators on both sides 

 of the river, irrespective of whether or not they were operating under 

 a Washington or Oregon license, and incidentally did the fisheries a 



f;reat service by bringing ])r()minently before the public the anoma- 

 ous condition of affairs which was occasioned by tlie archaic system 

 under which the fisheries of the Columbia were governed. The State 

 of Washington appealed to the United States courts, which, after 

 argument, issued an injunction preventing the warden from enforc- 

 ing the laws so far as the Washington fishermen were concerned. 



In the meantime the attention of the General Government had 

 been drawn to the apparently irreconcilable conflict between the two 

 States, and fearing that in the mel^e the interests of the fisheries 

 would be lost sight of, President Roosevelt, in a message to Con- 

 gress, after reciting briefly the lack of harmony in jurisdiction by the 

 States, recommended that the General Government take over the 

 control of the fisheries of the Columbia, as well as other interstate 

 rivers. 



This had the effect of bringing matters to a head, and negotiations 

 were soon in progress looking to the preparation of a treaty between 

 the two States by which uniform laws would be adopted, and thus 

 each State have concurrent jurisdiction to the opposite shore of the 

 river. The legislatures each appointed a committee of eight mem- 

 bers to confer and frame joint legislation. The two committees met 

 in Seattle, Wash., early in 1909, and agreed upon the following 

 recommendations: 



Firet. A spring flosed Keafion Irom March 1 to May 1 . 

 Serond. A fall dosed spapori from Aiipust 25 to Septeml or 10. 



Third. A Sunday cloflcd Hfafon Irom K p. m. Saturday of each wpp1< to fi y). m. the 

 Sunday following Letwefcn the let day of May and the 25lh day of Auguot. 



