44 Tliiiii/scrcnlJi Annual Mi'rliin/ 



sounded the very kcv note of tlu' matter. 1 realize that the hass 

 season in Minnesota o])(mis too early — the 29th of May. If this 

 resolution dealt entirely with international or interstate waters 

 even, the committee would have supported it, Init T tliink it 

 wouhl l)e foolish to adopt it in the way it now i-eads. 



Mr. Wilson : May I say one more word ? 1 have no intention 

 of trying to stampede you orentlemen to do something that you 

 think is not right, hut 1 want to say to you ri.ulit here that the 

 American Fisheries Soeiety is an organization of high standing 

 in this country. It lias Ijeen my privilege to be invited to every 

 fisheries conference tliat has been held in the province of Quebec 

 in the last ten years; and I state that tlie i)i-oceedings of the 

 American Fisheries Society have been freely used in those con- 

 ferences. They believe that the American Fisheries Society is 

 composed of a large body of high grade men in every depai't- 

 ment. Now, that being the ease, are you not making a mistake 

 if you do not set these people right when you liave the oppor- 

 tunity ? 



As a representative of the protection element in the state of 

 Xew York, I say that Mr. Whipple, the present commissioner, 

 and the most eapal)le one the state ever had, has given us ])rae- 

 tically all the legislation we ever asked for, with the possible ex- 

 ception where he was satisfied tliat we could not get it. and one 

 of those instances is tliis question of taking l)ass out of tlie St. 

 Tjawrenee river l)efore they liave spawned. Why, in pul)lie liear- 

 ings before the legislature, a former superintendent of public in- 

 struction in the state of Xew York, and president of the Anglers' 

 Association of tlu^ St. T.awrence, fought the shortening of the 

 bass season, and all the members of the Anglers' Association, as 

 well as the railroad interests, fought it. They wanted to get on 

 the St. Lawrence as soon as the ice was out and the bass had 

 stuck his nose out of the mud — if lie stays in the mud. So that 

 thing went on year after year, when Canada was setting us an 

 example of having a season six or seven days later. Xow we 

 have succeeded in shortening the season this year seven days, and 

 placing it in harmony with the Canadian law. That is why our 

 association was born — to harmonize law, and to fight for inter- 

 national control. Centlemen, referring to the infiuenee of the 

 American Fisheries Society, I reiterate that you ]iossess more in- 



