A III erica II Fisli cries !<ociciii 209 



Now it is imiU'CTSsarv to tell you that in tliis rc])ort, tlic ro- 

 roiiiiiit']i(latioiis of the coiiiiiiissioiu'r wvvv vcrv sNwcjiinu'. Tins 

 rcpoi't of tlu' Ontario liovc'rinne'iit was ol)tained somethiiiii- in the 

 same way, ext'cpt. that ii I'^fercncc to the fisheries, they sent ont 

 written (|uestions wliich wk^yv answei'ed l)v 497 jiersons of all 

 (lesci'iptions, and hesides that they took sworn testimony at 

 many |ioints tlii'on,uhont the jtroviiiee. The onh' ])oints tliat I 

 will (li'a\\- to \oui' attention are some o\ the reeominendations 

 of thesi' eonnnissioners. 



"Voni- commissioners ai'e of the opinion that pound nets 

 should he entirely aholished in the waters of the jtrovinee. The 

 extent to which ncttiny' is carried on is also iiK'<)nci'iv;d)le. and 

 the s])awnin,«i- grounds are sti-i])ped yeai' after year until in manv 

 places where (ish ahonnded formerly ;n large niimhers. there is 

 no yield now at all. If a foi-ce of game wardens was ap])ointed, 

 this matter could he vigorously looked into and the slaugliter 

 and (Uvtrnction could he very considerahly lessened. The \alue 

 of the fish yield is enormous, and too much ])ains can not he 

 taken to pi-eser\"e what should he always a tdiea]) food su|)ply 

 for the masses."" 



And so on. through their report, it is a damning arraign- 

 ment of the existing condition of things. 



Now, gentlemen, it is inccuiceixahle to l)elie\-e that any states- 

 man wishes to do harm to his counti'y, and when I tell yon that 

 those two docunu'nts. pi'epai'eil at great t'xp;'nditui-e of tinu' and 

 moiu'v r.\ the people, undertaken hy scientists and men who are 

 «|uite (pialifie<l in taking e\ ich'uce and making the .'xamination 

 and reciunmcndations, aiv practically a dead letter, the (piery 

 ''why y"" must come in. 



Kach one of the constituencies on lake Ontario and lake Kri" 

 1ias a small fi'inge oi- l)ordi'r upon the lake, and the meml>ei-s o'' 

 ])arliament. at each election, the candichites for reelection seek- 

 ing the suffrages of the pt'o])le, ha\e fi'om time to time gone and 

 .nade ]n'oinises to the net fishermen; fii'st, a diminution in the 

 sizi' of the nu'shes of the nets: secon<ll\-, an extension into the 

 ni-eeding seasons of the time in which nets could he i)laced ; and 

 Thirdly, an inci'case of net licenses heyond the possihility of the 

 water to take t-are of. lint those same gentlemen never went 

 into the territory of their several constituencies and told the 



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