American Fisheries Society 121 



No people on earth have been so wasteful as our own 

 people; only a century ago, or three generations past, ours 

 was the richest country in the world in forests, fish, game, 

 and other natural resources, which had been accumulating 

 for untold ages. Each generation has taken from the 

 forests, from the rivers, and from the seas all it could pos- 

 sibly seize upon, recklessly indifferent to future con- 

 sequences. 



It has been said that things must become intolerably bad 

 before they can be bettered, but have we not already ar- 

 rived at a condition to cause alarm, which must arouse senti- 

 ments of public duty and responsibility sufficient to over- 

 come this present indifiference, and to check this incon- 

 siderate greed and selfish desire to consume and destroy 

 these gifts of nature which we hold in trust for ourselves 

 and our descendants? If, regardless of our duty, we con- 

 tinue in our improvident course, we shall bequeathe to an- 

 other generation a further wasted and impaired inheritance, 

 and our own neglected obligations cannot be discharged by 

 others upon whom we shall have laid these burdens. Is 

 this fair? Is it a square deal ? Is it fair to our children and 

 to the children yet unborn? 



DISCUSSION 



Dr. B. F. Briggs, Brooklyn: I liked those pictures and was made 

 enthusiastic by them. Yet, think how far you have got to go in order 

 to enjoy such scenes, while within half an hour's ride you can catch 

 weakfish in Jamaica Bay— just as lively a fish as you could want. And 

 if we will propagate them there see what the millions of New York 

 can do. They can enjoy that fishing as only a few do now. This year 

 we have been able to stop net fishing in Jamaica Bay almost entirely. 

 The result is that anyone can go down in half an hour on the South 

 Bay and enjoy all this that you have seen before you. 



