10 American Fisheries Society 



ing importance, and one which the governments, both federal 

 and state, have dealt with most liberally. You represent 

 that industry in its most scientific and highly progressive 

 side; we laymen enjoy the benefit of your work. 



St. Louis has a great many enthusiastic fishermen, and 

 I know that they are all glad to receive you and to bid you a 

 hearty welcome, and hope that your proceedings will result 

 in much satisfaction and benefit to yourselves. I thank 

 you for your attention. (Applause.) 



President : Mr. Mayor and Gentlemen, I wish to thank 

 you in behalf of the members of the American Fisheries 

 Society for the welcome with which you have greeted us, 

 and to assure you that we are glad to meet in this historic 

 city and to carry out our proceedings here. We are inter- 

 ested in the work of fish culture and we are practical fish 

 culturists. We are interested, therefore, in the work which 

 you are doing in Missouri and the advance which you are 

 making here in fish-cultural work. I believe if you continue 

 to progress as you have done you will, in time, place this 

 state among the leading commonwealths of the United 

 States in fish-cultural work. 



We hear, Mr. Mayor, a great deal nowadays of the word 

 "conservation." It is in the mouth of everyone. But when 

 the word "conservation" was mouldering in the dictionary 

 for lack of use, the American Fisheries Society was an 

 active conservationist. We claim to be the original conser- 

 vationists. Before anyone thought of taking a hand in the 

 preservation of the forests, the purification of the streams 

 or the preservation and increase of natural resources 

 generally, there was a band of men connected with this 

 Society who gathered together to advocate the propagation 

 and protection of fish and the conservation of our fish-food 

 supply. It was like many other things, a big project looked 

 upon with ridicule by some and by others as merely a little 

 trick and not at all practical; but today it is recognized as 

 one of the most important conservation activities of the 

 country. 



