Lipinsky. — Fedreal Control of the Mississippi 105 



fish to enter in high water, but shut them off later and cause 

 suffocation in winter. Such places should be attended to first, as 

 I believe here lies the greatest danger to the small fish. 



If I may be allowed to suggest a good, permanent way to con- 

 serve the small fish which get into the land-locked lakes and bays 

 in high water, it would be to use steam shovels or ditching machines 

 and connect the ponds and lakes with ditches that deepen as they 

 run into the river. In a good many places artesian wells could be 

 used very successfully. The different states have different ideas 

 and opinions regarding fish and game laws and to avoid trouble 

 we should have federal laws on interstate waters — that is, spe- 

 cifically, a uniform law for all the states bordering on the upper 

 Mississippi. 



We all know there is a question as to jurisdiction on the 

 Mississippi, but be it state or federal, there should be something 

 done to aid in the already valuable work being done in seining out 

 some of the land-locked ponds. There are millions of these small 

 fish that suffocate each winter along the Mississippi valley and if 

 given proper protection from the heavy winter killings, as we 

 commonly call it, we would have an abundance of all the different 

 varieties of fish. I wish I could produce the record of the exact 

 amount of fish taken out commercially from these waters each 

 year, but it is impossible at this time, as most fishermen do not 

 keep any records of their catches. 



I make no criticism of the good work already done, but merely 

 express my view of the conditions as seen in my immediate 

 vicinity, with some suggestions as to their improvement. There 

 are many arguments in favor of federal control of the finest fishing 

 stream in the world, the Mississippi River. 



