22 American Fisheries Society 



minority, which states in very explicit terms that none 

 of these charges were true. 



It seems to me particularly appropriate to bring the 

 matter before this body at this time: to furnish, in the 

 first place, a specific statement to you that the charges 

 have been investigated and declared groundless; and, 

 secondly, would it not be proper that this Society should 

 express distinctly its confidence not only in the scientific 

 standing but also the integrity of our President? 



I should like to move that the Society, at this time, 

 desires to express its fullest confidence in President 

 Townsend, and its regret that the press should have been 

 called upon to circulate such distorted statements regard- 

 ing the facts in this case. 



Mr. Bower, of Michigan: I will take the liberty of 

 putting the question before the Society, inasmuch as the 

 President would hardly wish, perhaps, to bring this up. 

 I would like to say we have acted together in this matter. 

 Our President has been unjustly attacked, simply because 

 certain selfish interests could not control him; he has 

 been assailed because he represented fearlessly the posi- 

 tion of the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries, and I hope that 

 this Society, by a unanimous vote, will show its apprecia- 

 tion of their confidence in him. Those that favor this 

 motion will signify it by rising. 



Carried unanimously. 



Dr. Townsend: I have nothing further to say on the 

 fur seal matter, except that I have been in this unfor- 

 tunate fight for twenty-five years, and I am still in it. 

 Our report, which has just come out, contains my re- 

 marks of last year, and I have made similar remarks 

 which have been printed elsewhere. I am still putting 

 myself on record regarding what is going to happen 

 on the Fur Seal Islands. This move of the House Com- 

 mittee was really not against me but was an attempt to 

 discredit the Government control of the Islands, so that 

 the Islands could be leased to private parties. The next 



