1910] FOREST, GAME AND FISH WARDEN. 33 



many years, and are still no nearer a solution of the many difficulities than 

 we are, even though it will be seen that the owners and operators of tanneries 

 are co-operating with the officials to work out a satisfactory solution of these 

 problems. The tannery interests in the State of Pennsylvania are closely 

 indentified with those of West Virginia, and it is candidly believed that the 

 same plan of equipment agreed upon there will, within a very short time, be 

 installed in the West Virginia tanneries. 



The polution caused by the drainage of coal mines is recognized as one of 

 the most troublesome problems confronting us at the present time, as no plan 

 has yet been devised whereby the polution can be stopped at a cost that will 

 not interfere seriously with the economical mining of the coal. 



The advice of the Government experts, as well as the officials of several 

 other states has been sought in these matters, and many tests have been made 

 with the water flowing from coal mines and other industrial plants, to ascer- 

 tain what was and what was not poluting our streams, but the only con- 

 clusion that can be reached after a diligent effort along this line is, that it 

 will require years of time and treasure, of money to solve these questions. 



The report of W. B. Eector, Chief Deputy, who made many tests of polu- 

 tion, during the year 1911, which was presented to the grand juries of the 

 different counties, will show the effort that has been made along the line of 

 investigation and prosecuting for the polution of streams. In many of the 

 counties where the source of polution seems to be greatest, it has been im- 

 possible to secure an indictment, much less a conviction, which clearly demon- 

 strates that local sentiment is so strong in favor of the various industries that 

 it makes it difficult to successfully enforce this Statute as it now exists, and 

 it is hoped that the next session of the Legislature will amend the law and 

 put the enforcement of same on a broader plain than the mere subject of 

 killing or injuring fish. 



While the poison that is entering our streams is injurying the fish, at the 

 same time it is destroying one of the most valuable assets of the whole State 

 our splendid supply of water and is affecting the property rights, health, 

 happiness and life of the citizens of the whole State, and when our law 

 makers see fit to place the investigation of this matter, as well as the enforce- 

 'ment of the law, on the broad plain that the demands require, and appropriate 

 sufficient money to successfully carry on this work, then, and not until then, 

 will satisfactory results be obtained. 



ELKINS, W. VA., March 24, 1910. 

 HON. J. A. VIQUESNEY, 



DEAR SIR: Allow me to call your attention to a fact I observed last Fri- 

 day, and which still exists today. 



The Valley Eiver from a point where the W. M. E. E. crosses it one mile 

 north of Elkins, is, as to about one-half of the stream, black as ink, and from 

 Eoaring Creek Junction down to Belington, the entire stream is black, and 

 this condition exists nearly to Philippi a distance of about twenty-five miles. 

 At Philippi last fall we had the river stocked with fish. It is manifest that 

 this pollution of the river comes from the tannery at Elkins, above that tan- 

 nery, the river is clear as a crystal, as it should be. 



This condition will certainly destroy all fish, as well as our river for all 



