24 Thirtij-Firsl Anitudl Meeting 



the 3^ear. It is a cool year. T know. l)ut 1904 may 1)e another 

 cool year. In ordinary years the temperature of St. Louis is 

 mufli moi'e en(lural)]e than tliat of a great many of the eastern 

 cities. I have lived in Xew York for a good many years and am 

 a resident of Xew York now. and when I say that St. Louis has 

 treated me more kindly in the matter of comfort than Xew 

 York City, you may l)e sur})ristMl. l)nt it is nevertheless true. 



In St. Louis, as I said, the government will have a very large 

 dis])lay of live fish and of fishery appliances, and in addition to 

 that the foreign governments will come in and show what they 

 can do in the way of fish culture and oyster culture. While, of 

 course, in some respects we have very little to learn from the 

 foreigners, yet in other respects, especially in oyster culture and 

 in the handling of lobsters and other crustaceans, we have a great 

 deal to learn from the Europeans — and they will he there. Their 

 space is already engaged, and we shall have their representative 

 ]nen in fisli culture as well as in fishery. 



Now, St. Louis is one of the most important places in the 

 west, not only as a fish markt't, hut as a city in which fishing in- 

 terests are enthiisiastically considered. I Ijelieve that I have 

 never found a city of its size whic-h contained so many intelli- 

 gent fishermen. It is a singular thing that the state does not 

 reflect the sentiment of St. Louis. I suppose it is because the 

 state officers, the commission, may ])v politicians — that I don't 

 know. [ am not interested at all in ])olitics, hut I have found 

 that whenever a commission docs I'lin into politics there is very 

 little work done exee])t that which will serve the ])olitician"s ])iir- 

 ])osc, and I can account for it only in that way. Aside from 

 that, St. J^ouis is really a ]-cmai'kable place as a fish center, that 

 is to say, a market for fresh and jjreserved fish, as a ])lac(^ from 

 which anglers go out to catch fish and study fish. Therefore, 

 gentlemen, I hope that you will look over this matter favorably 

 ami decide next 3'ear to hold your meeting in St. Louis. You 

 will he very welcome and the exposition authorities will do 

 evei-ytliing in their ])o\ver to make you comfortable and ba])])y. 



'Llie secrelarv then iJresentt'd tlu' followi]iii' letters: 



