BUREAU OF FISHERIES 12 1 



Marshall McDonald, chosen to succeed Goode in 1888, 

 was a practical fish culturist, many of whose inventions for 

 improving fish culture are in use even today. His ad- 

 vent to the office meant that fish-culture work would con- 

 tinue to be the primary function of the Fish Commission. 

 The other activities were continued and even somewhat ex- 

 panded during this same period. The scientific work was 

 advanced by the equipping of the Woods Hole Station, by 

 the building of other seagoing vessels, and by increased 

 appropriations for the staff. Fish statistical work was con- 

 tinued from year to year with the appropriations increasing 

 slowly. 



Mr. McDonald died in 1895 and after a short term of 

 two years when the office was filled by John J. Brice, a re- 

 tired naval officer, George M. Bowers of West Virginia 

 became commissioner. It is well known that the appoint- 

 ment of Mr. Bowers was the price paid by McKinley, under 

 a pre-convention agreement made by Mark Hanna, for the 

 support of Senator Elkins and the West Virginia delegation 

 in the Republican National Convention of 1896 Not- 

 withstanding that fact the Bureau made considerable strides 

 forward during his administration chiefly because he had 

 the good sense to rely largely upon his staff of permanent 

 civil servants in all technical matters. 



In 1903 the Commission of Fish and Fisheries as an in- 

 dependent institution of the government directly responsible 

 to Congress was abolished and in its place the Bureau of 

 Fisheries was set up in the newly established Department 

 of Commerce and Labor. 21 In 1912 when the Department 

 of Labor was established separate from Commerce, the 

 Bureau of Fisheries remained in Commerce. 22 



20 A tale, the truth of which the writer will not vouch for, is that 

 when Coolidge in later years was informed of this deal, he dryly 

 remarked, " That was an awful price to pay for West Virginia." 



21 32 Stat. L. 827. 22 37 stat. L. 736. 



