American Fish cries Society 211 



off in pounds, but to the fact that the values have not decreased. 

 ]"or instance, we find tliat in 1!)06 the total catch fur this year is 

 23.(M)().;i()0 (idd pounds, and we are given a value of $1,735,003 : 

 if we turn to tlie year 1890, we find that the value of the fisheries 

 for tliat year is over $2,000,000 ; the weight, however, is 29,000,- 



JO ]iouiids as against 23,000,000 pounds. In other words, there 

 is a total decrease of in the neighljorhood of (i, 000,000 pounds, 

 and if you a\erage the present selling price at eight cents (for, 

 mark you, the difference in weight is mainly in tlie more \ahi- 

 able forms of fish, such as the whitefish and trout) you would 

 note an annual decrease of in the neighl)orhood of $-t80,00(\ 

 That, of course, can be varied by the average price of the fish : 



1 am putting it at eight cents; running it down to six cents, it 

 would l)e $3()0,001). If you capitalize either of tliose sums ai 

 five percent, you will find that the capital assets of the Province 

 of Ontario have decreased anywhere from $6,000,000 to $8,000,- 

 000. Xow, liere again, is where the association which I repre- 

 sent is al)le to do good work. "We are al)h' to Ijring these fact< 

 to the attention of the people; to dissect the l)lue Ijooks, and t(i 

 expose what I take it are either intentionally or unintentionally, 

 misleading statements on the part of the authorities. 



Again we are able, as we have done on several occasions, by 

 the formation of these branches, to jiroduce definite voting- 

 strength, without delving actually into ])olitics, where we liave 

 a large branch such as Hastings County branch. We were al)l('. 

 for the first time in fifty years, to make the fishernu ri of the 

 Bay Canadian, one of the most important fisliing grounds foi' 

 Lake Ontario whitefish on the lakes, realize for the first time 

 that there was a force outside of themselves in their waters which 

 must and should be barkened to l)y the government. The fish 

 culturist and the scientist had for years ])ointed out that the 

 Bay was a natural spawning ground. We made recommenda- 

 tio]is which had not been ado])te(l : Init when the authorities 

 realized, and when the members tht'mselves understood, that 

 here was a force that they must count u])on, men of importance 

 in the community, representative citizens, men who must be 

 listened to, when they felt that there was that cohesive strength, 

 which would be developed at the next election, and we were able 

 to make the fishermen realize that the fish swimming in th(; 



