86 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 
104,700,010 pounds, valued at $767,141. The total pack was 1,877,757 
cases, valued at $7,435,056, of which 1,458,670 cases, valued at $5,- 
669,352, were quarter oils. 
FLORIDA SPONGE FISHERY, 
The sponge-inspection service, to make effective the law regulating 
the size of commercial sponges taken from waters off the Florida 
coast and landed at American ports, has been kept up throughout 
the year. The Florida sponge fishery appears to be maintaining a 
satisfactory equilibrium between the natural supply and the catch. 
It is regrettable that large quantities of small sponges barely meeting 
legal requirements continue to be taken. In the previous report at- 
tention was called to the large profit to be obtained if the small 
sponges were permitted an additional year’s growth. This seems to 
have been demonstrated during the year by the quantity of large 
sponges taken on certain bars that had not been fished for several 
years. The continued demand for the larger sizes has somewhat en- 
couraged the spongers to work in deeper water, say, from 9 to 12 
fathoms. Ifa period of rest and recuperation for the shallower bars 
can be secured for a reasonable period, the sponge fishery as a whole 
will be greatly benefited. 
The fishery has not escaped the fluctuations in value and general 
depression felt in other industries. The radical changes in price 
throughout the year, with considerable quantities of sponges re- 
maining unsold from time to time, have not tended to simplify the 
financing of operations, but with a gradually improving market and 
the high quality maintained in the sponges taken the future may be 
viewed without concern. 
INCREASED USEFULNESS TO THE FISHERIES. 
The Bureau has recently been extending to the fishing industry a 
larger service than ever before, but it falls short of the opportunities 
and has been unable to meet various obligations that naturally de- 
volve on the sole Federal agency charged by law with the duty of 
aiding the fisheries. 
With due regard for the utmost economy in governmental expendi- 
tures, and having in view the efforts which the industry should 
undertake on its own behalf, there has existed and still exists a real 
need for additional Federal aid to the fisheries such as the Bureau is 
able to render but which it can not undertake with its present facili- 
ties. In an industry yielding an annual harvest of 2,500,000,000 
pounds of products it is highly important from the standpoint of 
national welfare that the aquatic resources be utilized to the best 
advantage, and the Government would be amply justified in greatly 
increasing the appropriations that are available for such a purpose. 
Some of the technological work that the Bureau felt should be 
undertaken in behalf of the fisheries has been indicated in estimates 
of appropriations that have been submitted to Congress in recent 
years and in special bills on which the Department has made favor- 
able reports. At the present time an appeal is being made for an 
increase in the general funds for maintaining the division charged 
