, i02 U. S. BUREAU OF FiSHESlfiS. 



Fourth. We supgest the mutual recognition by each State of the licenses issued to 

 floating gear by the other State. 



Fifth. That the State of Oregon repeal chapter 89 of the session laws of Oregon 

 for the year 1907, relative to the operation of purse seines and other like gear on the 

 Colunil)ia River. 



Sixth. We recommend the enactment of similar laws in both States carrying an 

 appro])riation of at least $2,500 in each State and providing for the destruction of 

 seals and sea lions and the granting of a bounty on the same, to be $2.50 for seals and 

 $5 for sea lions. 



Seventh. We recommend the repeal of both the fish Inlls passed under the provi- 

 sions of the initiative and referendum in June, 1907, by the people of the State of 

 Oregon, said bills being designated on the ballot as 318, 319 and 332, 333. 



The recommendations were enacted into law by both States, and 

 at the same time tlie State of Washington in its bill also prohibited 

 fisliing for salmon within 3 miles of the mouth of the Columbia 

 between March 1 and May 1 and between August 25 and September 

 10, or salmon fishing on tributaries of the Columbia, except the Snake, 

 between June 1 and September 15; and also prohibited fishing for 

 salmon by any means save by hook and line in the Kalama, Lewis, 

 Wind, Little White Salmon, Wenatchee, Methow, and wSpokane 

 Rivers aTid in the Columbia River 1 mile below the mouth of any of 

 the rivers named. The agreement was subjected to a rather severe 

 strain, however, when it was discovered that the Oregon Legislature 

 had failed to provide the same closed periods for the tributaries that 

 were enacted for the Columbia, thus leaving the Willamette, Chncka- 

 mas, Lewis and Clark, and Youngs Rivers and Spikanon Creek open 

 to fishing for 15 days in March and 15 days m April, while the 

 Cohimbia was closed. The cry of bad faith was at once raised by 

 the Washington fishermen, and for a short time it appeared that the 

 agreement would be broken at the very beginning. The Oregon 

 Board of Fish Commissioners took the matter up, however, and by 

 order closed these streams to all fisliing during the times of closed 

 season on the Columbia, mid thus restored peace once more. 



This agreement contiimed in force until 1915, when the legislature 

 of each State prepared for a thorougli revision of its fishery code. In 

 order to make this revision more elTcctive, committees from both 

 legislatures were appointed and held joint meetings in Portland, 

 where they mutually agreed upon laws covering the fisheries of the 

 Columbia River, and in order to make this agreement more binding 

 the following chapter was inserted in the codes finally adopted: 



All laws and regulations now existing, or which may be necessary for regulating, 

 protecting, or preserving fish in the waters of the f Ioluml>ia River, over which the 

 States of Oregon and Washington have concurrent jurisdiction, or any other waters 

 within either of said States, which would affect said concurrent jurisdiction, shall be 

 made, changed, altered, and amended in whole or in ])art only with the mutual 

 consent and approbation of Itoth States. 



As such an agreement between two States requires the approval 

 of Congress, a bdl ratifying the same was inti-oduced in Congress on 

 December 16, 1915, but was not finally ratiiied until April 1, 191S. 



While the compact was pending in Congress, the Washington 

 legislature at its 1917 session made several changes in the existing 

 fislieries law and contended they were efi'cctive because the com- 

 pact agreement was not ratified by Congress until 1918, which then 

 did not take recognition of the new regulations. When the matter 

 came officially before the superior court of Pacific County, Wash., 

 in 1919, the court held that the compact was vahd, thus nullifying 



