CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME. 188 



//. Striped Bass, Sturgeon, Perch, Shrimps, etc. Mr. Scofield has himself con- 

 ducted a great many investigations of our fishes, such as the>.=:ha_d, striped bass, perch, 

 sturgeon, etc. He has also made a study of the shrimp fisheiy and has been able to 

 prevent the use of the destructive Chinese method of shrimp fishing. 



i. Kelp. During the Great War, when a sufficient amount of potash was not 

 obtainable even at the increased price of $300 and $400 a ton, formerly $05 per ton, 

 a study was made of the extensive kelp beds along the coast of southern California 

 with the assistance of Mr. W. C. Crandall of the Scripps Institution and Dr. F. W. 

 Turrentine of the United States Department of Agriculture, and regulations were 

 made as a result of this study which enabled the harvesters to cut the kelp to the 

 limit without unduly destroying the beds. 



9. There is less than eight miles of the Truckee River in California below 

 Floriston. Shortly before the present Board of Fish and Game Commissioners was 

 appointed, the State of Nevada appropriated $10,000 to abate the nuisance caused 

 by the pollution of the Truckee River at Floriston. Nevada's chief complaint was 

 not that the alleged pollution was deleterious to fish life but that it rendered the 

 water supply of the city of Reno unpalatable. 



An action was commenced by the State of Nevada in the United States courts in 

 San Francisco and much testimony was taken. It was not proven that the refuse 

 was deleterious to fish. In fact, the testimony showed that the fish in the river 

 below the point at which the refuse was discharged, were in good condition and fit 

 for human consumption. The action commenced by the State of Nevada was thrown 

 out of court. Thereafter, certain state officials of Nevada consulted with the Fish 

 and Game Commission of California, with a view to abating the nuisance. F. A. 

 Shebley and N. B. Scofield were sent by the commission to the Truckee River to 

 make further experiments with the water affected. Numerous conferences were held 

 and a committee consisting of W. H. Shebley, Superintendent of Hatcheries in Cali- 

 fornia, Professor Dinsmore, Bureau of Chemistry, University of Nevada, and Mr. 

 Block, representing the paper company, was appointed to go east at the expense 

 of the paper company to investigate certain appliances to handle the refuse. The 

 owners of the paper company agreed to install these ap'pliances providing the manu- 

 facturers thereof would guarantee their efficacy. When the manufacturers would 

 not do this, the matter was again taken up by Governor Boyle of Nevada and Mr. 

 Thatcher, Attorney General of Nevada, with Governor Hiram W. Johnson of Cali- 

 fornia, and Mr. Westerfeld. 



As a result of this conference, a committee consisting of Hon. Arthur Arlett and 

 W. H. Shebley, again investigated the condition of the river below Floriston and 

 made its report to Governor Johnson. Mr. Westerfeld thereafter wrote Governor 

 Johnson, asking that the Attorney General of the State of California be instructed 

 to commence proceedings under the authority of People vs. Truckee Lumber Company, 

 IIG Cal. 397, against the paper company to abate the nuisance. At the next session 

 of the Nevada Legislature, another appropriation was granted by that state to again 

 commence proceedings against the paper company. An action was thereupon insti- 

 tuted and is now pending in the Supreme Court of the United States. 



10. Water Pollution. Practically nothing was done by previous boards of Fish 

 and Game Commissioners to prevent pollution of the waters of the state. The 

 present board has, however, made great strides in this work and it is safe to say 

 that California now leads any other state in the Union in preventing the pollution 

 of its waters. 



In the last ten years many complaints have been filed in the courts against large 

 corporations and individuals to stop the discharge of refuse matters into the waters 

 of tho state and vast sums of money have been expended by them in order to remedy 

 the evil. For example, as a result of complaints filed in the courts by the Fish 

 and Game Commission, the following named companies have expended the amounts 

 set opposite their respective names to prevent pollution : 



Pacific Gas and Electric Company $200,000 00 



Union Oil Company 18,000 00 



Shell Company of California 40,000 00 



Doheny-Pacific Petroleum Company and Associated Oil Company, 



jointly 20,000 00 



Mason Malt Whiskey and Distilling Company 7,000 00 



Southern Pacific Company 23.000 00 



Monarch Refining Company 5,000 00 



American Oriental Refining Company 2,000 00 



Capitol Refining Comp-any 1,000 00 



Paraffine Paint Company 1,000 00 



California Petroleum Company 1,200 00 



Total $318,200 00 



