26 Tzcciity-scvciitli Annual Meeting 



Prof. Birge: Your year would be 1885; ^^^'- -^eviu's report is 

 as to 1893. 



Mr. Whitaker: Of course all the value there is in statistics is 

 to shoAv the exact facts. If you will take 1885 and other years 

 that we have reports of clear down to 1895, you will see that the 

 figures show a decrease of whitefish each year reported down to 

 1895, when it was 3,353,187 pounds, showing a very much larger 

 per cent, of decrease thau would be indicated by your figures. 

 You don't take your figures far enough down to show the effect 

 of it. I fancy Michigan has been the largest planter of whitefish 

 in this country, yet we find an enormous decrease in the catch. 

 It is necessary that something be done to arrest this. Statistics 

 are valuable so far as they go, but you cannot draw from the 

 facts what Mr. Nevin seeks to show, that the loss or decrease is 

 not so great in Michigan as in Canada waters and that planting 

 under present conditions has sustained the catch in our waters. 



Mr. Spencley: Wouldn't the same conditions exist in 1885? 



Mr. Whitaker: Yes, but what I say is. that the statistics did 

 not cover the waters as completely in 1885 as they have since 

 1891. I believe in hatching whitefish: Michigan has dcMic as 

 nuich as she could, and she has had the assistance of the I'nitcd 

 States in that worl^, \ et notwithstanding the immense numbers 

 of whitefish ]ilantcd, the falling off in catch h.as l^een enormous. 



Mr. Clark: I have a short paper and after hearing Mr. 

 Kevin's ])aper, I want to say that my paper treats upon this same 

 subject; that is, in a general way. Before any general discussion 

 is had, I think it would save time to present it, and perhaps 

 others. Wouldn't it be better to present the papers pertaining 

 to this subject and then take up the discussion? I would like 

 to present my paper now and then have the discussions. 



Prof. Birge: I move that the jiapcrs that deal with tlie sub- 

 ject of fish propagation l)e taken up now. 



President May: I want to announce tlie connnittce on tlie 

 nomination of of^cers. The committee will l)e Mr. (iuncls-el. of 

 Ohio; Mr. Dale, of Pennsylvania; Mr. Whitaker, of Michigan; 

 Mr. Spencley, of Wisconsin, and Mr. Clark, of the United States 

 Fish Commission. 



Mr. Dale, chairman of the Executive Committee, presented 

 the following names for membership and reported a recom- 

 mendation that they be accepted, and moved the adoption of the 

 report. 



