i;,; BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



so well protected and restocked by artificial propagation as to give assurance that Ashing in Maine 

 will be better and still better as tin- years go and come. 



Something has been said here about the constitutional right of a State to enact restrictive or 

 protective laws regulating the times in which and the circumstances under whit h inland fish and 

 game may be taken. That question has fortunately been settled for all time in the United States. 

 Tin- Tinted States Supremo Court in a late decision has declared that the people of a State, in their 

 ii capacity, own the tish and the game within its borders, and may say through its legislature 

 how, when, and \\ here the game and the tish may be taken and disposed of; in other words, the legis- 

 lature may give a qualified property right or ownership to fish and game lawfully taken. Wo have 

 found by experience that protective laws are necessary, and that these laws must be enforced. Why, 

 do you know that down in Maine if a person is shot by another while hunting it is called an accident, 

 but if a person shoots a moose or a caribou unlawfully we imprison him four months "without the 

 benefit <>t < : 



As true disciples of Isaak Walton we propagate artificially the trout and the salmon, and, aided 

 greatly by the t'nited States Fish Commission, we are. constantly making the fishing better, and the 

 multitude is constantly growing larger who come among us, and let me say, though I am no prophet, or 

 the son of a prophet, but only a down-east Yankee, that in these times of wages growing less and still 

 lees, and the army of the unemployed constantly being augmented, the Congress of the United Spates can 

 display wise statesmanship by giving earnest attention to the improvement of fishing, better fishing 

 to those who go down to the sea in ships, better opportunity to secure this good, wholesome food, 

 greater opportunity to willing hands to engage in this great industry. Dollar wheat may be a bless- 

 ing to the tanners of the West, but it means dearer bread to the toiling millions, but better than 

 dollar wheat would be a greater abundance of fish and game and enlarged opportunities to our laboring 

 people to engage in this great, important, and growing industry. 



The committee on resolutions reported organization by the election of Hon. H. O. 

 S t a n ley, of Maine, as chairman, Hon. Edward Thompson, of New York, as vice-chairman, 

 and Mr. \V. E. Meehan, of Pennsylvania, as secretary. The committee also presented 

 a resolution railing for a statement at each session of the program for the next session, 

 which was adopted. 



Tin* siTivt:ir\ gave notice of a complimentary excursion to the Manatee Kiver 

 provided for the delegates by the Tampa Board of Trade on Saturday, January 22, on 

 the steamer Margaret; also a trip on the U. S. Fish Commission steamer Fish Hawk 

 on Tampa Bay, for exhibiting the methods of deep-sea dredging, etc. 

 Tin- following telegram was read: 



OMAHA, NEBB., January 20, 1898. 



Unable to be present at meeting of Congress, but. send greeting and invite all members to visit 

 Traiin-MtMi.HHjppj and International Exposition at Omaha during meeting of American Fisheries 

 third \Vedm--day in July, current year. 



W. L. MAY, 

 President American /'///<>> Society. 



Tin- following letter from Mr. A. Milton Musser, of Salt Lake City, Utah, was 

 n-.id I iy the secretary and discussed by Mr. Edward Thompson, of New York: 



It would give me great pleasure to attend the Fishery Congress, were it possible for me to do so. 



l.-rthe information of the managers I will give brief data respecting the Utah fish industry. 

 The native fishes consist of mountain trout, Williamson's whitefish (both very choice), suckers, chubs, 

 and mullets; more snekers than all others put together. 



Daring my Inborn for the Territory and the State as fish and game commissioner, I introduced 

 from the East and West and planted innurpiiblie waters some 11,000,000 of choice fishes. Most of these 

 were gifts from the general government, and consisted of whitefish, shad, black bass, rock bass, perch, 

 crappie, sunfish, speckled, rainbow, and lake trout, catfish, eels, carp, etc. We hope soon to have an 

 abnndan t supply of the best of these fishes for home consumption and sale to our neighbors. We have 

 not v.-t attempted to increase our supplies by artificial means. Our legislators thus far have refused 

 to appropriate funds for a public hatchery. Long ago I came to the conclusion that the only way to 



