84 American Fisheries Society 



President Fearing: If you will permit me, I would 

 like to say a very few words in regard to the attempt 

 to increase the interest and the usefulness of this 

 Society. Now, it seems to me a very useless thing that 

 there should be so many societies with virtually the same 

 interests, and I would like, before this meeting is over, 

 to see the Pacific Fisheries Society and the American 

 Fisheries Society become one. It has been tentatively 

 suggested, that they should become a Pacific branch of 

 this Society. I see no reason why the same interest 

 should not be taken when we meet as we expect to, in 

 the Southland, at our next meeting, and a southern 

 division be created, and in course of time a middle-west 

 division. That would cover the whole country; and in- 

 stead of having organizations that are antagonistic to 

 each other, they ought to work together instead of apart. 

 I merely suggest this for you to think about, and per- 

 haps talk about at some later time. 



Treasurer Willard: Mr. President, I wish to sug- 

 gest an amendment to our by-laws so that there may be 

 a Membership Committee, consisting perhaps of the 

 Secretary and Treasurer and one other of the Society, 

 possibly the President, who shall have the power to 

 elect members upon application. As it is now, if we re- 

 ceive an application in October, soon after this meeting 

 is over, that person does not become a member until the 

 following fall. 



Mr. Woods: Mr. Chairman, I would like to be heard 

 on the subject of increasing our membership. I would 

 not allow any city to have a meeting of the American 

 Fisheries Society unless they would promise a member- 

 ship of one hundred or one hundred and fifty. For in- 

 stance, if St. Louis were selected as a meeting place for 

 the Society, it should be contingent upon St. Louis's 

 bringing in one hundred or one hundred and fifty names 

 for members. Any man who would work could do it. 

 We should be larger and have more funds to conduct 

 our work with. 



