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We now depend on Lake Erie and Georgian Bay. The former are the freshest 

 and best. This has incited the formation of the organization of which I have the 

 honour to be the secretary. We are interested in it, not that we are fish Commis- 

 sioners, fishermen, or fish dealers; we are simply fish-eaters, fond of the whitefish, 

 and want it fresh, plentiful and cheap for ourselves and our neighbours — the poor 

 and the rich. In the belief that we can do some good to the community, we have 

 put our heart and soul into this work and determined to bring about a restora- 

 tion of cheap fish food to the depleted waters of Lake Ontario. 



In the meeting to-day we see that our labours have not been in vain, and we 

 feel most grateful to you, our neighbours across the waters and East and West, 

 for your kind, earnest co-operation and interest in our endeavours, and more than 

 pleased to see the work enlarge and extend to all the great lakes. It is a grand, 

 philanthropic work that we can well be proud of. While our governments are 

 giving so much thought and expense to the advancement of land farming, our 

 vast water farms should not be neglected. Fish is an equally important article 

 of food. It is a very necessary diet — essential to health. It would be better if 

 we all consumed more fish and less meat. Scientists tell us that for our own 

 good, as a matter of health, we Americans eat far too much meat. Relatively, 

 fish to-day is more expensive than meat, and unless reform comes soon, fish will 

 be out of reach of the poor. Our markets must depend on the great lakes ; there 

 is no other source for market purposes for fresh water fish. Taking Lake Ontario 

 as you find it to-day, almost destitute of fish food — nothing but herring and 

 bloaters in it now — what would be your idea for immediate course for United 

 States and Canada to pursue to bring about a restoration of those waters ? 



Mr. Ford : The first thing I would do would be to put whitefish fry in there 

 by the million. 



Q. Before you protect the waters ? 



A. You appreciate that it takes three years for the fish to come to ma- 

 turity; you would not see any effect until after three years — probably the 

 fourth year. Some five years ago Lake Erie was almost depleted of whitefish, 

 they had moved along up the lake ; and then they began to fill the plants 

 with whitefish, and the fishermen moved their nets down to Lake Erie, and for 

 the last five years our Detroit river planting has fish that come down to Lake 

 Erie. The plants of the United States Commission, of the Ohio Commission, and 

 the Pennsylvania Commission, have all been almost largely in Lake Erie, and all 

 helped to stock Erie. They probably do not go through Lake St. Clair to LaKe 

 Huron, but probably go to Lake Erie. The whitefish in Lake Erie is the best 

 proof of the success of the propagation of whitefish in the world. In reference 

 to the brook trout, I will say that forty years ago there were no brook trout 

 south of the Boardman river, which is nearly on a level with the upper peninsula, 

 and to-day there is fishing almost down to Kalamazoo, in almost every stream in 

 the state. 



Mr. Amsden : Here is the United States government which has offered to 

 come in and establish a hatchery on Lake Ontario. They say, first, that New 

 York must pass protective laws before they take a step in it. 



Mr. Post : I should certainly do it. Your State Board is an excellent Board- 

 I was a good deal pleased with what Senator McNaughton said. He said there has 

 been a great deal of money expended ; well, it has not been as well directed as 

 in some other States, but it is the pioneer State : it has taught us all what to do. 

 We are pupils of Seth Green. And of course New York has had to stand a good 

 part of the expense in the first place, and a good deal of that has been expended 



