[5] PLAN OF INQUIRY FOR FISHERY CENSUS. ( 
SOURCES OF INFORMATION. 
The general plan of the work proposed may be summarized as follows: 
A.—CORRESPONDENCE. 
The Directory, prepared for the use of the Commission, now records 
the name of every post-office within three miles of the sea-coast, and 
gives the names of several hundred persons, fishery-capitalists, manu- 
facturers, skippers, fishermen, collectors of customs, postmasters, and 
light-house keepers. All of these have signified their willingness to 
correspond with the Commission, and most of them have already com- 
municated answers to the various circulars sent out. In Appendix C is 
given a list of seaboard counties, with statement of number of seaboard 
' townships and post-offices within three miles of tide-water. 
This directory should be expanded in its scope so as to include the 
river and lake townships. An effort should be made to secure one reli- 
able correspondent in each town. The postmasters who have not yet 
responded should be again addressed, the appeal being strengthened 
by a special recommendation from the Postmaster-General. In some 
instances it may be desirable to secure as a correspondent one of the 
clergymen of the place. This can easily be done through the conference 
members. <A new circular (No. 41) will at once be sent out to every 
post-office on any considerable body of water. This propounds six 
questions, viz. : 
1. Are there any fishing-vessels Seal in your township ? 
2. Are there any pounds, traps, or weirs? 
*3. Are there any professional fishermen ? 
4, Are the fish-markets supplied in part or wholly from fisheries in 
your vicinity? 
5. If not, whence is obtained the supply? 
6. Will you answer other questions on this subject? « 
A short circular like this will elicit may answers which would not be 
called out by a longer one. By this means the list of correspondents 
will be much increased. A still more important end to be gained is the 
elimination of a larger number of localities, and a great contraction in 
the number of towns with which it would be desirable to carry on fur- 
ther correspondence. A negative answer to questions 1 and 2 with ref- 
erence to any town will practically throw it out of consideration. It is 
manifestly impracticable to treat unprofessional pond and river fishing 
otherwise than in a general way and by estimate. 
After the answers to the preliminary circular have been received and 
digested, a rough classification of towns by the kind of fishing carried 
on should be made, and other circulars should be sent out, for the pur- 
pose of ascertaining what points it is desirable to aeestaate further by 
letter or by a personal canvass. 
