1914 GAME AND FISHEKIES. 



duck. Our crows are similar to the carrion crow in Britain and most destructive 

 to eggs, young game, and other birds and chickens. These marauders should be 

 destroyed* whenever it is possible to do so. The above should convince those who 

 indulge in these unfair and unjust comparisons of the impossibility of protecting 

 our game as effectually as is done in Britain, where the climatic conditions are 

 also far more favourable. 



I regret having again to revert to the lawless persistance and I might say 

 criminal conduct of those owning factories situated on the banks of our rivers and 

 streams. My attention has been called to the immense destruction of fish in the 

 Grrand Kiver near one of the many factories located on that useful stream, which 

 was perfectly pure until polluted and contaminated by man's unreasoning and un- 

 scrupulous greed. I feel sure that the discerning public v/ill concur with me in 

 regretting that there does not appear to be adequate punishment provided for those 

 endangering human life and destroying public property, and who, for the purpose 

 of saving the cost of properly disposing of deleterious waste from their factories, 

 poison the waters which the public depend upon for domestic purposes. Who is 

 the worst criminal, the miscreant who puts poison in his neighbour's well or 

 spring, or he who insists in poisoning waters which hundreds, and in many cases 

 thousands, have to depend on for daily use. 



Some three or four years ago there was what was known as " the duck malady." 

 in the Salt Lake Valley, Utah. The wild ducks and geese died by thousands on 

 the waters of those well known duck resorts. It has since been discovered that it 

 was not a malady at all, but a well-defined case of wholesale poisoning by dele- 

 terious matter from the numerous sugar refineries and canning factories located 

 there. The case of fish poisoning referred to above is not the first occurrence 

 of the same thing; this Department has been trying during the last ten years 

 to re-stock the Grand Eiver with game fish, but our endeavours during those years 

 have been futile, owing to the miserable action of those owning or controlling the 

 factories causing the fish to be destroyed in that vicinity. It is an old saying that 

 " The Lord helps those that help themselves," it is therefore reasonable to expect 

 that unless the municipal authorities take proceedings against those responsible 

 for this destruction and nuisance they and the Grand Kiver in that municipality 

 will have to rlo without fish. 



In consequence of complaints made from various portions of the Province 

 to the effect that fishermen refuse to supply the home market before exporting to 

 the United States, I sent Inspector Holden to Port Stanley to investigate the 

 matter, and the following is his report : 



''Regarding the complaints received by you about the difficulties that a local 

 buyer had at Port Stanley in procuring fish from the fishermen of that place, I 

 beg to say that I visited Port Stanley on Monday, the 24th November. I found 

 that something over a year ago there was a company formed known as the ' Pro- 

 ducer's Fish Company,' to which all the fishermen from this port, with the ex- 

 ception of three, belong. This company has an office in the town a short distance 

 from the harbour, where I found the Secretary, who is also the Manager, and two 

 assistants, one of whom does not appear to have anything to do except to attend to 

 the Canadian trade. When I asked them what I should do to get a small amount 

 of fish, I was told, *You can either buy them here or go to any of the docks and 

 get them.' I found later that the men at the docks were quite willing to sell fish, 

 no matter how small the quantity. It appears that the company does not handle 

 these fish until the different fishermen turn them over to the company, after sellinsf 



