40 SALMON FISHERIES OF PACIFIC COAST. 



in these wheels their use was lawful, and the same is true to-day. 

 They are expensive apparatus, and many thousands of dollars 

 are invested in them. In addition there is an important salmon 

 cannery located at Seuferts, just above The Dalles, which would be 

 absolutely worthless if the above action were taken. It would be 

 no more than just, if the States of Oregon and Washington decided 

 to abolish all commercial fishing above Cascade Locks, that a fair 

 valuation for losses be fixed by arbitration and paid to those affected. 



There is also no question but what too many gill nets and trap 

 nets are now being fished in the lower part of the river, and some 

 scheme ought to be devised by which the number of licenses annually 

 granted can be reduced very materially. 



Strict regulations of the forms of apparatus used in the salmon 

 fisheries and the curtailment of certain or all forms when they be- 

 come too numerous will be of greater efficacy in the perpetuation of 

 the industry than any other method which has been so far rec- 

 ommended or tried except that of closed seasons. 



LAWS AND THEIR ENFORCEMENT. 



The history of the enactment and enforcement of laws relating to 

 the salmon fisheries of the Pacific coast (except possibly California) 

 is not one that those earnestly and sincerely desirous of preserving 

 and perpetuating the fisheries have reason to be proud of. In the 

 first place, it has been and is yet exceedingly difficult to secure effi- 

 cient laws, owing to the influence of the selfish interests which have 

 no regard to the future. In the second place, it was and is yet diffi- 

 cult to secure the enforcement of even the laws that are on the statute 

 books. In most States a change in the governorship almost invari- 

 ably entails a change in fish commissioner, who is often more con- 

 cerned with pleasing the interests that secured his appointment 

 and retain him in office than in giving the affairs of his department 

 the attention that they require. This condition, not peculiar to the 

 Pacific Coast States alone, doubtless will eventually be removed to a 

 great extent by divorcing the fisheries departments from politics. 

 The Pacific Coast States have had in the past and still have soma 

 earnest men who have been and are doing good work, and this num- 

 ber can easily be increased by making the positions permanent. Un- 

 der present conditions a fish commissioner scarcely has a compre- 

 hensive grasp of the intricate problems of his department and begins 

 to be of value to the State before a change of administration occurs 

 and he is compelled to give way to another man, who in turn must be 

 taught all that his predecessor had learned. 



The worst condition of affairs in regard to the making and enforce- 

 ment of fishery laws is found to prevail in those waters which form 

 the boundary between States or between Canada and the United 

 States. 



