FISHERIES OF ALASKA IN 1910. 63 



given a hearing before the United States commissioner at Sitka, who 

 discharged all of the defendants, however, for lack of evidence. 



Several complaints were made in regard to alleged illegal fishing 

 by gill netters operating in Karta Bay, Prince of Wales Island, south- 

 east Alaska, but diligent search failed to substantiate any of these, 

 and as the nets were soon withdrawn the complaints, which had come 

 from purse seiners, ceased. 



On June 25 the deputy marshal and deputy collector of customs at 

 Cordova visited Eyak River and found Perry and Causa Sabella, 

 fishermen employed by the Northwestern Fisheries Co. at Orca, with 

 a gill net stretched from shore to shore. The net held at the time 

 of the visit some 40 or 50 fish. The men were brought before the 

 United States commissioner at Cordova and fined $1 and costs, 

 amounting in all to $50 each. 



An evil which at present is slight, but will grow more and more 

 serious as the district becomes more settled and the superabundant 

 water power, which at present largely goes to waste, is harnessed and 

 made to serve the purposes of the manufacturer, prospector, lumber- 

 man, etc., is the building of dams in streams which the salmon fre- 

 quent. By the terms of the law it is — 



unlawful to erect or maintain any clam, barricade, fence, trap, fish wheel, or other 

 fixed or stationary obstruction, except for purposes of fish culture, in any of the waters 

 of Alaska at any point where the distance from shore to shore is less than five hundred 

 feet, * * * with the purpose or result of capturing salmon or preventing or 

 impeding their ascent to their spawning grounds, and the Secretary of Commerce 

 and Labor is hereby authorized and directed to have any and all such unlawful obstruc- 

 tions removed or destroyed. 



In the past, builders of such obstructions have been very negli- 

 gent in consulting the salmon agents in regard to the legality of their 

 structures, and as a result considerable expense has been caused to 

 them by their failure to observe the plain provisions of the law. 

 Where some municipal or commercial benefit is to result the agents 

 have been willing to meet the parties more than half way and to sup- 

 ply all needful plans for the placing of fishways in such dams where 

 feasible. 



PROPOSED LEGISLATION. 



At the hearings held between April 19 and May 25, before the Com- 

 mittee on the Territories of the House of Representatives, on H. R. 

 22579, Sixty-first Congress, second session, known as the Wickersham 

 bill, in amendment of the Alaska fisheries law of June 26, 1906, repre- 

 sentatives of the Bureau furnished statements and testimony bearing 

 on the provisions of this bill in their relation to the fisheries. At the 

 close of these hearings the following letter was transmitted by the 

 Secretary of Commerce and Labor in response to a request for the 

 opinion of the Department with respect to changes or additions 



