18 KEPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 



In view of these conditions, it has been customary and has seemed 

 advisable to allow subsistence to employees at the stations in ques- 

 tion. Recently, however, it has been decided by the Treasury De- 

 partment that under the law subsistence can not be furnished to statu- 

 tory employees even under these unusual circumstances. It is ac- 

 cordingly recommended that Congress be asked either specifically to 

 authorize the subsistence or else to increase the wages of such em- 

 ployees commensurably. 



In submitting estimates for the conduct of the work for the fiscal 

 year 1908 the Bureau asked that the salaries of all skilled laborers, 

 laborers, seamen, firemen, messengers, and cooks receiving less than 

 $720 per annum be increased to that amount. Owing to the increased 

 cost of living in all parts of the country and the demands of com- 

 mercial business, it is no longer possible to secure competent services 

 for less than the above salary, and the duties required of the employees 

 indicated are worth more than this compensation. Skilled laborers 

 and laborers are expected to and do perform the same work as fish- 

 culturists and are appointed from the civil-service fish-cultural lists. 

 Attention has before been called to the inadequate pay of the firemen 

 and messengers in this Bureau as compared with that of similar 

 positions in other branches of the Government service. Seamen and 

 cooks are obliged to pay mess bills out of their salaries, thus leaving 

 such small balances under the present rates that good and reliable 

 men are not attracted to the service. The recommended increases 

 aggregated $15,360. This recommendation was only partially com- 

 plied with, salaries less than $600 being raised to the latter amount. 

 The matter is still regarded as of the greatest importance, and it is 

 earnestly hoped that favorable action will be taken by Congress the 

 coming year. 



APPROPRIATIONS. 



t 



The appropriations for the Bureau for the fiscal year 1908 were 

 as follows: 



Salaries $288, 660 



Agents at Alaska Salmon Fisheries 4, 500 



Miscellaneous expenses : 



Administration 8, 000 



Propagation of food fishes 275,000 



Inquiry respecting food fishes 25,000 



Statistical inquiry 7,500 



Maintenance of vessels 55,000 



For construction of buildings and wharves and purchase of lobster 



pound, Boothbay Harbor, Maine 15,000 



For construction and repairs of buildings, ponds, and reservoir at 



Spearfish, S. Dak — 5,000 



For completion of fish hatcheries in Alaska 20,000 



In accordance with law the expenditures under these several ap- 

 propriations will be the subject of a special report. 



