Riley. — Bass Rearing in Texas 111 



secure greater accuracy than our present method I am 

 ready to adopt it, after being convinced. I am quite sure 

 that, with us, "estimating" would not be so satisfactory 

 to the applicant, for frequently I receive letters from those 

 who have received fish telling me of the safe arrival and 

 that a few more than stated in the allotment for which 

 they signed the receipt. 



The railroads of Texas carry our fish as first class 

 freight and handle the cans as baggage in the regular 

 baggage cars. One attendant may accompany a shipment 

 free and no shipment can exceed fifteen cans. The empty 

 cans are returned free. These shipments are billed on 

 regular Government bills of lading, shipped by the super- 

 intendent and consigned to the accompanying messenger 

 at place of delivery, the original bill of lading being ac- 

 complished by the consignee at the place where fish are 

 delivered to applicant. Where transfers can be made 

 by messenger cheaper than charges made by railroads for 

 the same service, the accompanying messenger pays this 

 charge and takes up the same in his expense account. 

 While possibly the method is more complex than that 

 which obtains elsewhere, still, in the main, it is satisfac- 

 tory, although increasing the clerical work of the station. 



During recent years the greater part of our distribu- 

 tion work has been done by the station force, which it 

 appears to me is more economical than detailing a car 

 messenger or assigning a car for the work. The former 

 plan we tried and the work was satisfactory, as we were 

 fortunate in getting energetic, capable men. In one re- 

 spect it is a disadvantage to have the work done by the 

 station force. More temporary labor must be employed 

 on the station if the men are on the road and the pay for 

 the men so working comes from the station allotment, 

 which in past years I have found falls short of what I 

 would like for the maintenance of the station. However, 

 should every superintendent have all the money that he 

 desires, probably the Bureau of Fisheries would need an 

 appropriation equal to that of the War Department. My 

 experience has been that laborers on a station perform- 



