136 American Fisheries Society 



condition of things would favor certain parties and certain interests. 

 Some hidden influences of such character and nature might be found 

 if one should look in the right place that would explain a condition 

 of things that makes it almost impossible to get a law passed that 

 would adequately and fairly protect both the seals and the seal 

 interests. 



President : I think that is a good suggestion and I hope every 

 member will go to his respective state and try to influence his member. 



Professor Ward : Unfortunately this is an act on our statute books 

 passed against the unanimous testimony of a Board of Experts and 

 the unqualified opposition of the Scientific Department of the Bureau 

 of Fisheries, having naturally a general relation to this matter. 



It is still more unfortunate, and I think T may say from a scientific 

 standpoint, absurd, situation, to consider that the Senate proposition 

 was pushed by Senator Hitchcock, of Nebraska, a man who repre- 

 sents one of the greatest cattle-raising states in the Union, who advo- 

 cates a principle which would destroy the stock industry, which is as 

 unscientific and as unthinkable on the part of any man familiar with 

 the raising of cattle or sheep or chickens, as anything possible could 

 be. And I think it is time for this body, representing the entire senti- 

 ment of the entire country in the field of fisheries, to protest against 

 the action of the Congress of the United States, when that action is 

 determined, not by scientific principles, bit by something else, which 

 we have no official reason to recognize, but which we cannot help 

 recognizing as being entirely unscientific. 



Mr. Seymour Bower, Detroit : Believing as I do that Dr. Townsend 

 has stated the facts in the case, I move that the Resolutions Commit- 

 tee be directed to prepare a resolution protesting against the action of 

 Congress and recommending the repeal of this obnoxious feature of 

 the law. 



Motion seconded. 



President: I expect from Dr. Ward's talk that the resolution is 

 already prepared. 



Dr. Field : As a practical matter there is only one way to bring 

 this subject forcibly to the attention of Congress, and that is to have 

 every member of the Society, so far as possible, put the matter directly 

 up to his senator and representative, and state that he and his friends 

 are personally interested ; and in that way some sentiment can be de- 

 veloped in Congress. 



