PACIFIC SALMON FISHERIES. 101 
residence for license purposes from State to State as the laws of one 
or the other best suited their particular purposes. 
The fishermen and packers also were in apparently irreconcilable 
conflict as to the proper means to be taken to conserve the fisheries, 
and each session of the legislatures saw strong lobbies present to 
work for certain selfish ends, while the few earnest men wid had the 
real welfare of the fisheries of the river at heart had difficulty in 
making the slightest headway against the influence of these lobbies. 
To further complicate the matter, in 1894 Oregon claimed that, 
under the provisions of the enabling act admitting it as a State, it 
had jurisdiction to the Washington shore, and proceeded to arrest 
Washington men who were fishing in what was the open season 
according to Washington law but the closed season under Oregon law. 
Tn June, 1908, the voters of the State of Oregon had presented for 
their consideration two bills radically affecting the waters of Columbia 
River. One proposed closing the river east of the mouth of the Sandy 
River against all fishing of any kind except with hook and line, and 
was originated by gill-net fishermen of the lower river for the purpose 
of eliminating fish wheels in the upper waters. This bill was the first 
presented to the people, and when it appeared the upriver men 
retaliated by presenting a bill affecting nae lower river to such an 
extent that it practically prohibited the net fishermen from operating. 
Very much to the surprise of all concerned both bills were passed 
and became laws on July 1, to take effect, as provided, on August 25 
and September 10, respectively. The Oregon master fish warden 
proceeded to enforce both laws, arresting all violators on both sides 
of the river, irrespective of whether or not they were operating under 
a Washington or Oregon license, and incidentally did the fisheries a 
ereat service by bringing prominently before the public the anoma- 
lous condition of affairs which was occasioned by the archaic system 
under which the fisheries of the Columbia were governed. The State 
of Washington appealed to the United States courts, which, after 
argument, issued an injunction preventing the warden from enforc- 
ing the laws so far as the Washington fishermen were concerned. 
n the meantime the attention of the General Government had 
been drawn to the apparently irreconcilable conflict between the two 
States, and fearing that in the mélée the interests of the fisheries 
would be lost sight of, President Roosevelt, in a message to Con- 
ress, after reciting briefly the lack of harmony in jurisdiction by the 
tates, recommended that the General Government take over the 
control of the fisheries of the Columbia, as well as other interstate 
rivers. 
This had the effect of bringing matters to a head, and negotiations 
were soon in progress looking to the preparation of a treaty between 
the two States by which uniform laws would be adopted, and thus 
each State have concurrent jurisdiction to the opposite shore of the 
river. The legislatures each appointed a committee of eight mem- 
bers to confer and frame joint legislation. The two committees met 
in Seattle, Wash., early in 1909, and agreed upon the following 
recommendations: 
First. A spring closed season from March 1 to May 1. 
Second. A fall closed season from August 25 to September 10. 
Third. A Sunday closed season from 8 He m. Saturday of each week to 6 p. m. the 
Sunday following between the Ist day of May and the 25th day of August. 
