280 American Fisheries Society 



ceding, and until now there has been no practical or satisfac- 

 tory solution offered for its control. It is conceded by all 

 authorities on the subject, that stream pollution is a real and 

 serious menace that threatens not only to exterminate all fish 

 life from our inland streams, but also its deadly effect is be- 

 coming very noticeable in our lakes and larger bodies of water. 



Stream pollution dates back to the time of our forefathers. 

 When they were settling up new territory, they found our 

 streams a very convenient place to dispose of all manner of 

 refuse and trash for which they had no further use. By 

 throwing it into the stream it would soon float away and out 

 of sight. Later on, as the population became more congested, 

 and industries of all kinds began to develop along our water- 

 ways, following the established order of things, the waste 

 liquor was allowed to flow into the creeks and rivers, destroy- 

 ing everything with which it came in contact. Those once 

 beautiful streams, teeming with fish life, have been converted 

 into seething sewers of filth, a breeding place for all manner 

 of disease germs, continually throwing off an unbearable stench 

 that is detrimental to human health and causing an uncalled 

 for depreciation of property values wherever the stench reaches. 

 This crime must not be allowed to continue, if we have a 

 remedy that will correct the evil. If we hand down to our 

 children of the coming generation streams devoid of all fish 

 life and flowing full of all manner of filth, they will look back 

 on us with pity and shame, as being only partly civilized in 

 allowing our waterways to become so contaminated with filth 

 that they are a disgrace to all mankind. Instead of flowing 

 with pure, sparkling water, a place for recreation and pleasure, 

 they will be places to be avoided by both man and beast. In 

 looking at the surface of the water it is hard to realize the slow 

 but deadly changes that are taking place in the bottom of a 

 polluted stream. 



You will say the manufacturers are the ones that are re- 

 sponsible for this destruction. I say, when we sit idly by and 

 do not raise our voices in protest against this wanton destruc- 



