PACIFIC FISHERMAN 



Younff Salmon Seven Montha In Searinir Fonda. 



Toung salmon hatched in these streams. All of 

 these streams mentioned were at one time great 

 spawning streams for the Chinook salmon of the 

 Columbia river. 



Kxtensive logging operations on tributaries of 

 the Columbia river, Willapa Harbor, Grays Har- 

 bor and Huget Sound have destroyed many of the 

 spawning beds of the different species of salmon 

 which frequent the waters of this State, and splash 

 and power dams have kept thousands from reach 

 ing their natural spawning grounds. 



Still, in spite of all these obstacles and the fact 

 than an enormous amount of salmon have been 

 canned, pickled, frozen and consumed fresh, the 

 Columbia river has produced more salmon during 

 tlic year 1911 than In many years before. 



The complete screening of all irrigating ditches, 

 Humes, etc., tributary to the spawning streams of 

 (he salmon, good fish-ways installed in all dams 



nstructed on salmon streams, hatcheries or eye- 

 stations located on every salmon stream, large 



itral stations with good rearing ponds where 



young salmon can be taken care of and fed 



il they are large enough to take care of them- 



ves, and with good laws enacted and enforced 

 the protection of these young salmon, I will 



:iture to state that within sixteen years the Co- 



ubia will produce as many salmon as it did one 

 liuiidred years ago. 



All this talk of advancing civilization destroy- 

 ing the industry is rot, pure and simple, and those 

 who advance this idea have never studied the 

 situation sufficiently to be competent to give a 

 proper idea of the conservation of the salmon. 



That the advance of civilization will destroy the 

 salmon If proper steps are not taken to protect 

 the streams and care for everything pertaining to 

 the same is true, but that these streams can be 



Rearing- Ponds at Chinook Hatchery. 



taken care of and protected is also true. It has 

 been stated that at one time some of the rivers 

 in Europe were full of salmon, but the natural in- 

 crease of the population and the installation of 

 various industries so contaminated the waters 

 that the salmon disappeared. If this is true, it 

 must be remembered that at the time mentioned, 

 the artificial propagation of salmon was never 

 heard of, that the packing system was not an in- 

 dustry, no interest was taken whatever in their 

 preservation and nothing done to keep the spawn- 

 ing streams free from pollution. 



Now this is the time to see that the salmon 

 streams In this state are protected and that noth- 

 ing is left undone to protect the salmon, not only 

 for this, but tor the future generations. Some 

 will argue that it is better that the future genera- 

 tions take care of themselves and that we get 

 everything out of this generation that is possible. 

 The fishing industry of this state is much larger 

 than almost anyone would imagine and by properly 

 caring for the same not only ourselves but our 

 children after us may find it a great thing to fall 

 back upon when many of our other resurces are 

 exhausted. This industry can be preserved and 

 will be preserved if the public at large will take 

 an interest in this matter at this time. When the 

 timber is gone the salmon will still be with us if 

 the proper methods are taken to conserve the 

 supply. 



Having spent thirty-four years of my life in 

 every branch of the salmon industry and having 

 been fortunate enough to secure a practical knowl- 

 edge of conditions existing tributary to the Co- 

 lumbia river, Willapa Harbor, Grays Harbor, the 

 Puget Sound and the Fraser river, I am satisfied 

 that with proper, practical methods and with good 

 laws the fishing industry will continue to be one 

 of the largest assets of this state. However, if 

 no safe guards are thrown around the Industry 

 and no support given to those who are striving 

 to build up the same the salmon will go the way 

 of the buffalo. 



Nature never intended that millions of salmon 

 should be killed every year. Before the White 

 Man came the Columbia river, Willapa Harbor, 

 Grays Harbor and the Puget Sound were full cf 

 salmon. If these salmon had much more than 

 reproduced themselves and these thus reproduced 

 should reproduce so many more. It would have 

 taken only a tew generations to so fill the Pacific 

 Ocean with salmon that there would not have been 

 enough food for a onethousandeth part of the 

 young salmon propagated in the streams tributary 

 to the sea. In all things nature has provided 

 aeainst an overproduction and with the coming of 

 le White Man the packing of salmon began and 

 1.13 continued until the amount of salmon taken 

 from the waters mentioned is so great that nothing 

 but artificial propogation, the greatest protection 

 that can be given to the fry so propagated, will 

 keep up the supply. Enough breeding salmo^ 

 must be allowed to reach their spawning grounds, 

 and the most practical methods of artificial propa- 

 gation must be employed. On every salmon 



11 



stream in this state there should be a hatchery 

 and all of the try propagated at these plants should 

 be taken care of at rearing ponds until able to 

 take care of themselves. 



The Cannerymeu's Association ot this state 

 is in a position to do a great deal to help to con- 

 serve the supply, and of late there seems to be 

 a disposition on the part of these gentlemen to 

 do veryihing they can to encourage and build up 

 the industry. However, the business man must 

 also help. 



The fisheries ot this state give employment to 

 more than 12,000 people. Taking as an average 

 tour people to a family this industry feeds, clothes 

 and supplies with the necessaries ot lite at least 

 48,000 men, women and children and every year 

 tbere are more people engaged in this work. 



These 12,000 people do not include the men who 

 cut the piling for the traps, the teamster who 

 hauls the same to the waters, the men who fur- 

 nish supplies of all kinds, the machinists and iron 

 workers who make and keep in repair the ma- 

 chinery necessary for the packing ot these fish, 

 the transportation companies and their employees 

 who handle the raw and packed material, but just 

 those people who are actually engaged in the 

 catching and packing of the fish. 



The farmer on the east side of the mountains 

 furnishes the fiour, fruit and meat to feed this 

 army of people, the merchant on the west side ot 

 the mountains furnishes the groceries, boots and 

 shoes, clothing and other necessaries ot life. While 

 the farmer on the west side ot the mountains sup- 

 plis the vegetables and a great many ot the other 

 necessaries ot life consumed by those engaged 

 directly and indirectly in the fishing industry. 



Almost every industry in the State of Washing- 

 ton is benefited more or less by the fishing in- 

 dustry, therefore it is up to all of these people to 

 take an interest in this great industry and by 

 their moral support help conserve the same, and 

 place it on a safe basis. 



The trouble is that not enough publicity is given 

 to this business. Very little attention is paid to 

 the fishing industry of the state by the farmers, 

 real estate dealers, fruit growers, merchants, ma- 

 chinists, dairy men, laborers and professional men. 

 Yet, all ot these people directly or indirectly profit 

 more or less from the industry. 



How many of these people have the slightest 

 idea of the number of cases of ?•■'— or- that are 

 packed in the State of Washingi a year 



and what the value ot the samt . . ..ja many 

 people of this state know the amount of money that 

 is paid out tor labor and material every year? 

 How many know the number of salmon that are 

 caught to put up a season's pack? How many ot 

 our citizens have the faintest idea of the work 

 being done by the State Pish Commission to keep 

 up the supply of the raw material? How many 

 people know that the hatchery system comprising 

 twenty salmon hatcheries does not cost the aver- 

 age tax payer a cent but is kept up by licenses de- 

 rived from seines, traps, fish wheels, gill nets, set 

 nets, etc., and that every cannery man pays a tax 

 to operate his cannery, that every trap man pays 

 a percentage ot every fish caught by his traps, 

 that on every case of salmon a tax is paid, that all 

 the dealers in fresh fish pay a license and that all 

 of this money so collected goes to build, repair and 

 maintain the hatcheries of this state. Very few 

 outside of those directly interested have this 

 knowledge, and still almost everybody in the state 

 profits more or less from the output of these hatch- 

 eries. 



The great majority of our people will gay, "What 

 can we do to help the industry, we are very busy 

 looking out for our own business and even if we 

 could spare some of our time what could we do 

 to help matters. We know nothing about the fish- 

 ing Industry, and would not be able to accomplish 

 anything if we tried?" 



That is where they are wrong. Everyone should 

 post themselves on this subject. When Oifford 

 Pinchot spoke in Seattle of the coal and timber 

 ot Alaska, the building in which he gave his ad- 

 dress was jammed and would not accomodate the 

 people who evidently took a grreat Interest in this 

 •natter. 



It the Honorable ,1. G. Megler (the father of the 

 hatchery system o fthls state), or the Honorable 

 Henry S. McGowan, who did as much for the rear- 

 ing pond system, or the Honorable George M. 

 Bowers, United States B1sh Commissioner, should 

 deliver a comprehensive lecture on the conserva- 

 tion of the salmon of the State of Washington, 

 they would talk to empty benches. Still the 

 importance of the fishing industry ot this state 

 is such that all citizens should take as much 

 interest in it as they do in the conservation of 

 coal and timber in Alaska. 



At the very best, the salmon has a hard 

 struggle tor existence. The Royal Chinook of 



