107 



man's business, but bis business may not come witbin 

 tbe law ; and moreover, tbe act tbat tbe fisberman 

 exercises is a privilege and not a rigbt. Tbe fisberies 

 are tbe fisberies of tbe people, and wbatever tends to 

 injure tbe interest of tbe people in tbese fisberies, and 

 wbicb may lead to tbeir extermination, must be re- 

 sisted by tbe American Fisberies Societ}'. Tbe statis- 

 tical agent of our state told me be went into a fisb 

 dealer's bouse on Mackinaw Island, and kicked open a 

 keg of wbite fisb, wbicb contained fisb of a size to 

 require eigbt to make a pound, two ounces apiece. 

 Wbat do you tbink of tbat? Murder in tbe first de- 

 gree. Tbese fisbermen are standing in tbeir own ligbt 

 wben tbe}^ do anytbing like tbat. Tbe fisb wbicb tbe 

 dealer brougbt to ni}^ attention in Detroit, be said be 

 got a iialf-cent a pound for. I asked bim bow mucb 

 be would get if tbey were left in tbe water for two 

 years, and be said six cents a pound. Tbere is tbe 

 tbing in a nutsbelb Tbe people are expecting too 

 mucb wben tbey expect tbe fisberies are going to be 

 renewed or sustained wben you permit tbe parent fisb 

 to be taken out, and not only tbat, but you take tbe 

 little fellows out before tbey bave come near baving tbe 

 disposition or abilit}' to spawn ; and tbese tbings are 

 matters wbicb it is in tbe province of tbis Society to 

 take cognizance of and correct. 



Mr. Douredoure : Can you form some idea of wbat 

 it cost to put tbis fisb in tbe water — bow mucb per 

 pound ? 



Mr. Wbitaker : I cannot tell you wbat it cost per 

 pound. I can tell you wbat it cost tbe state of Micbi- 

 gan for tbe two years tbat we figured up, two years 

 ago. Our total cost of fry put in was sometbing like 

 twelve cents and a balf per tbousand. In two locali- 

 ties on tbe Great Lakes, at least, we bave tbe state- 

 ments of tbe fisbermen tbat tbe}' are catcbing our fisb. 

 Tbe dealer told me tbe otber fisb were not ours. 



