REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. CLXXXVII 



the seacoasts and shores of the United States, and along- the shores of the several 

 islands thereunto adjacent, and in the hays, harbors, and estuaries of the said sea- 

 coasts and shores of the United States and of the said islands, and in all waters 

 under the maritime jurisdiction of the United States wliere the tide ebbs and flows, 

 subject only to such control or restriction as Congress may prescribe from time to 

 time, any law, custom, or usage of any State to the contrary notwithstanding, for 

 one year from the date hereof, and no longer." 



Numerous committee lieariiigs were accorded those who favored and 

 opposed the contemplated legislation, and in the House the matter was 

 finally reported on adversely. A substitute bill introduced later was 

 also unfavorably acted on, on the ground of unconstitutionality. 



RELATIONS WITH THE ELEVENTH CENSUS. 



On September 9, 1891, the writer was appointed special agent of the 

 Census Office in charge of fish and fisheries, without compensation, and 

 at once entered upon the duties connected with that position. Active 

 connection with the Census Office was maintained until January 5, 

 1892, when, owing to the fact that the work was requiring much more 

 time and attention than was anticipated, and that satisfactory work in 

 one department was only accomplished at the expense of the other, it 

 was decided to discontinue the writer's services, although his commis- 

 sion as special agent was temporarily retained at the request of the 

 Superintendent of the Census. 



Upon assuming charge of the work it was learned that Mr. Charles 

 F. Pidgin, of Boston, Mass., was also a special agent in charge cf the 

 fisheries division, with headquarters in Boston. Under the arrange- 

 ment then in force the work of compiling the statistics from the field 

 agents' returns devolved upon the Washington office, and tabulations 

 were prepared for publication at the branch office in Boston. 



In making reference in thfs report to the connection established 

 between the Census Office and the Fish Commission it will probably 

 not be necessary to do more than briefly mention some of the more 

 important matters that arose during the continuance of that relation. 



The clerical force available for work in the fisheries division was very 

 small and entirely inadequate to properly deal with the extensive sub- 

 ject. It was therefore necessary to restrict the work to a consideration 

 of certain special branches pending an increase in the force. The prin- 

 cipal subject to which attention was given was the compilation of statis- 

 tics showing the extent of the carp industry of the United States from 

 1880 to 1889. The Census Office had very complete returns covering 

 more than 60,000 carp ponds, lakes, etc., and the results of one of the 

 most interesting and important experiments in fish-culture were exhib- 

 ited. The compilation of figures for the States of Maine, New Hamp- 

 shire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Khode Island, Connecticut, New York, 

 New Jersey, and Pennsylvania was completed, and work on numerous 

 other States was well'advanced, but it was evident that many more 

 employes would be needed in order to finish this branch of the work in 

 a reasonable time. Another special line of work undertaken by the 



