1172 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES, [34] 



who, although absorbed in important public duties, has found time to 

 devote a part of his life to science." 



14. THE CAUSES OF THE SUCCESS OF THE UNITED STATES FISH 



COMMISSION. 



To what elements of streogth does the United States Fish Commis- 

 sion owe its long-continued success I It may seem a waste of paper to 

 try to answer this question, but at the risk of seeming verbose I venture 

 to make the attempt. 



(1) The work of the United States Fish Commission oices its value solely 

 and entirely to the fact of its heing based upon an extensive and long -contin- 

 ued system of scientific investigations^ for the ])urpose of discovering un- 

 known facts, the knowledge of which is essential to the welfare of the 

 fisheries, the economical management of the national lishing resource^, 

 the success of fish culture, and the intelligent framing of fishery laws. 



The resolution establishing the Commission requires that its head shall 

 be a civil ofidcer of the Government, whose services shall be at the com- 

 mand of the President, and who possesses proved scientific and practi- 

 cal acquaintance with the fishes of the coast, thus formally fixing its 

 scientific character. 



The work of the Commission is and has always been under the direc- 

 tion of eminent and representative scientific specialists acting as heads 

 of its several divisions, and the employes, with the exception of a very 

 hmited numberof clerks, are trained experts, usually scientific students — 

 so exact and special is the training required even for subordinate posi- 

 tions, that in a majority of cases each man employed is the only man 

 in the country who understands and can perform his own individual 

 work. 



The character of the scientific work has been determined from the 

 start by the intimacy of its atfiliation with the Smithsonian Institution, 

 famous throughout the world as a nursery of scientific enterprises. No 

 organization in the United States not so afiiliated, could by any ordinary 

 means have secured the co-operation of so many master- workers, wliose 

 aid has been so important to the success of its plans. 



(2) Tlie successful application of scientific methods oficorlc has alioays de- 

 pended upon the entire freedom of the service from departmental routine.* 



* Since the preparation of this paper has been begun the writer has been informed 

 that there is a feeling in some oiificial circles in favor of the snbordiuatiou of the Fish 

 Commission to some one of the Executive Departments of the Government. 



The chief argument in favor of such a change is said to be based upon the idea that 

 every branch of governmental "vvork should be in some way under the surveillance of 

 a Cabinet officer. Without attempting to antagonize this view, I shall attempt to 

 show that this policy is by no means a general one, and that the Fish Commission is 

 one of the branches of the service which would lose more by such transfer than it 

 could possibly gain. 



In the first place, let us review the status of the offices of the Government which are 

 not subordinated to any Executive Department.- 



Chief among them is the AgTicultural Department. This is simply a bureau or 



