American Fisheries Society 45 



fluence than we. It took two years for us to get a public senti- 

 ment on international control, and my first resolution went where 

 this resolution went, and I said, gentlemen, we will come back 

 and when we come back we will take you all in, and we did. I 

 wish I could take you all in here tonight, and have you give 

 moral support to this resolution which does not apply to any 

 state in the union in particular, which does not ruffle a hair on 

 any man's head, unless ho is anxious to have it ruffled, and this 

 is strictly in line with the protective system which we are all 

 anxious to advance and for which the society stands ; and I trust 

 that the resolution will be passed unanimously. 



Dr. Birge : It seems to me that this discussion is on a matter 

 where all of us are agreed in principle, and where we differ as to 

 the means of securing the end. There is no one here who does 

 not believe in protecting fish, and this association is doing all it 

 can to secure good legislation on the part of states and provinces, 

 as far as we have influence with them. There is no difference of 

 ojjiiiion among us here on the question of ])rinciple; the differ- 

 ence of opinion tliat has arisen here, is with regard to the spe- 

 cific things that are recommended in this resolution. While [ 

 am in full sympathy with the aims of the recoimnendation, there 

 are several things in it for which I should not vote. I believe 

 with Mr. Clark that the best method of protecting bass is not 

 through special legislation, assigning a certain close season here 

 and another tliere, l)ut k'gislation along the line of a limited 

 open season; and 1 am not ready to recommend the adoption of 

 the opposite princi])U', l)ecause I do not l)elieve it will work. 

 Take a state like Wisconsin, extending over a long distance from 

 north to soutli. with a great difference in the spawning season 

 l)etween the lakes in tlie northern and southern part of the state. 

 If our legislature should legislate along the lines of this resolu- 

 tion it would make a certain open season for Vilas county, and 

 another for Dane county. Xow I do not heliew that legislation 

 of that special kind, lengthening the season and shortening it in 

 another place, is going to stand. As a matter of fact, when that 

 legislation is attempted with us in Wisconsin and attempted in 

 good faith on all sides, each legislature sees the fish laws changed 

 and modified as this man and that man wants, until no one in 

 the state of Wisconsin (unless he is a Philadelphia lawyer) 



