American Fisheries Society 41 



tee on i-esolutions. T am not a scieutific man, although 1 hokl 

 a paper that might permit me to take up the work of a fish hatch- 

 ery. I am interested in the protection of the food fish of ■STorth 

 America, and have heen identified with that work for ten oi- 

 more years, having spent my time and my money in the effort 

 to conserve the food fish of this continent. Why, may I ask, 

 should this resolution fail of passage in an organization, grand 

 in all its departments, one of whose chief aims is the protection 

 of the fish of this country ? This is not a strange thing I am 

 asking of you, gentlemen. You set apart certain localities to 

 make up for losses of fish in certain waters, do you not? Other 

 countries do. The state of Xew York sets aside streams to con- 

 serve tlie fisli therein and to assist in the ])reservation of new 

 varieties of fish. For instance, the streams flowing into Lake 

 George, nine miles from my home, were closed entirely when 

 they were stocked with landlocked salmon. Every argument that 

 has 1)een made today has l)een in fav(n' of my resolution. Th' 

 president of this organization said that there had been a bill pre- 

 sented in congress asking for some ninety-seven hatcheries to be 

 hiiilt in the Fnited States. Is that an argument, gentlemen, 

 that your iisli hatcheries are doing all tlie work and doing it suc- 

 cessfully ? I think not. It is said that this is a local affair. 

 Well. |icrlia])s it is. It is local. I will admit, in the state of New 

 ^'oi'k. whcic the St. Lawrence river is open to bass fishermen the 

 l!)th of dune, although the l)ass does not complete its spawning 

 until early in July, on that river. Xow what are yott doing with 

 that fish y llow many bass have yoit hatched this last year? We 

 had one a])iilication from the Anglers' Association of the St. 

 Lawrence river for over a million bass. They said it was a joke 

 when we called their attention to the fact that they opt'ued the 

 season for bass too early on the St. Lawrence river. Is fishing 

 on the St. Lawrence river a local question? I hardly think it is. 

 Xow T have been identified with an organization called the 

 Xorth American Fish and CTame Protective Association, whose 

 chief end is to harmonize the law between the L^nited States and 

 the Dominion of Canada. As an officer in that organization 1 

 have been in close touch witli the l)ureau of fisheries in the prov- 

 inces of the Dominion of Canada. 1 know something about, 

 their fisheries. I heard some of the best men in Canada, pro- 



