The Salmon of the Pacific Slope. 219 



Another detail that must not be overlooked is that Washington 

 and Oregon have different and far less strict fishery laws than those 

 in force in British Columbia. Looking at the issues involved by 

 this difference from the two standpoints, i.e., of an American and 

 of a Canadian business man, the following are the conclusions at 

 which each will probably arrive. 



In Washington, the waters of which state are not separated 

 from those of British Columbia by a more tangible division than a 

 line drawn on the maps, the passage of the anti-fishtrap law was 

 recently made the subject of hot political strife, the pecuniary 

 interests involved being very considerable, and of widespread 

 influence. Fishtraps, be they salmon wheels, traps, or other 

 mechanical contrivances to catch the ascending salmon without 

 allowing any to escape to propagate their species, reflect, of course, 

 most injuriously upon the whole business. Nobody, and the shrewd 

 American least of all, can entertain anv doubt about that, but so 

 reckless of the future are your true "builders of the great Western 

 Empire," as they love to call themselves, that no consideration 

 whatever is given to the future outlook. Let every salmon perish, 

 let the species become extinct, provided the next few years' harvest 

 fill their tin cans and their capacious pockets. But the shrewd 

 manipulators of salmon traps in American waters had enemies in 

 their own camp, for the seine men, as the fishermen using the far 

 more legitimate nets are called, seeing what a speedy end to the 

 whole industry traps were bound to bring about, rebelled, 

 and brought all their influence to bear in fostering popular 

 demonstrations in favour of anti-trap laws. In this, those of the 

 British Columbian cannery-men, who had no interest in American 

 water, helped as much as they could, for, of course, traps were 

 almost as fatal to them as thev were to American cannerv-men. 



J * 



Curiously enough, not all, however, of the British Columbian 

 representatives of the canning industry joined in this wholesome 

 -crusade, at least if one can believe accounts published in the 

 Seattle and Tacoma newspapers. There existed among the British 

 Columbians interested in the business a considerable number 



