Aiiicricini Fisltrri('<; Sociely. 29 



1 hiwv li\c(l tluTc inysfir l!l inoiitlis and 1 know it is casv to liiid 

 aceommodations within ivacli of the exposition grounds. Of 

 course tlie hotel accommodations are scanty, 1 admit that. I do 

 not live at a hotel now, and one need not confine himself to hotel 

 accommodations in St. Louis. During tlie dedication ceremo- 

 nies 100,000 people could have heen accommodated in private 

 houses who did not avail themselves of the 0]i])orlunitv and went 

 away disgruntled because they could not get into tlie hotels. I 

 do not blame the people for not over-building, (.'hicago and 

 Buffalo had their lingers burned by over-speculation in that di- 

 rection. St. Louis is conservative, its financial standing is of th.^ 

 highest, and there is no reason why they should build beyond 

 what the natural growth of the city will sustain. 



Now, I want to say another word in another direction. The 

 United States Fish Commission is going to have at St. Louis the 

 finest display of fishery and fish culture that it has ever prepared 

 or that the world has ever seen. That is one feature that we will 

 have at St. Louis, and only at St. Louis. We will c-ei'tainly not 

 have it at Buffalo. The nations of the world are coming to S|. 

 Ix)uis and tlu'y are coming there bent on ac([uiring information 

 about the fisheries and fish culture of the United States. Beijre- 

 sentative men will bi' tliere from all over the world. Now, gen- 

 tlemen, how will it appear if the force and the life of fish culture 

 in the United States, represented Ijy the United States Fish 

 Commission and the American Fisheries Society, sliould Ix^ 

 omitted from that program to wluch we have invited our for- 

 eign representatives? It would be a shame and a disai)poin1- 

 ment, and I do not believe this society would feel that it had 

 done itself justice. The American Fisheries Society represents 

 today the activity of fish culture interests in our country. The 

 people who are coming are the best that Europe, India, Ceylon, 

 Australia, China and Japan, can ])roduce. France and Germany 

 will be there, also Groat Britain, Norway and Sweden. .Now. 

 why should the United States be left out as far as its representa- 

 tion by the American Fisheries Society in connection with the 

 United States Fish Commission is concerned ? 'I'hat is altout 

 all there is of fish culture. I do not mean, of course, to omit tlie 

 states, not by any means, but tlie states, too, will be there, 20 or 

 more of them will be re})resented in that little building '>vri- 



