4() 'I'll irt //-semi III AiiiiikiI M('('IIii(/ 



knows wli:it llic laws as to fisli and ,i:aiiif arc in tlic state. T ask 

 von if that sort of tink('i'in<i- of laws lias iiol prodnccd vcrv iiuicli 

 the same ett'ect in other states. 



Again, I think that this matter of iiii|)osin«i- sevt're penalties 

 is a mistake. I do not believe that by inereasing the penalties 

 provided in the hiws ol' various states, the ])rotection of (ish is 

 going to be advanced; I think it is going to be injured : 1 tbiid-: 

 you will find that where severe ])enaltit's ai-e laid down by such 

 laws, the result is that the law is not enforced, and that the 

 severity of the penalty tends to make the law iiief1'eeti\c, bet-ause 

 officers of the law feel that the peiutlty is not wan-anted by the 

 crime, and shut their eyes to the ojfense. What we want is or- 

 ganizati(ui for the enforcement of moderate ])cnaltics so that 

 they will be enforced with reasonable cllicit'ney and with reason- 

 able certainty. 



While, therefore, 1 agree entirely and heartily with the spirit 

 of this resolution I do not agree with its reconnnendation. I 

 concur with the committee in that matter and I therefore move, 

 since we are all agreed on the question of principle, that the reso- 

 lution be referred back to the committee, to draw such a state- 

 ment of the opinion of this society with regard to this resolution 

 as seems wise and present it later. 



^Ir. Seymour Bower: As one of the members on the com- 

 mittee on resolutions and as one who opposed the adoption of the 

 resolution under consideration, I want to say that the main reas- 

 on why I did so is that this resolution is so broad and general 

 that you can enact almost anything under it and claim that it 

 has the backing of the American Fisheries Society. 



Now if this gentleman (Mr. A\'ilsoii ) has any specilic pi'opo- 

 sition and will bring evidence to us that the sort of i)roU'ctiou 

 he reeomnu'iuls is needed in his locality, 1 will vott' for it heart- 

 ily, and I think every member on the connnittee will: but we 

 do not want to be saddU'd with this i-esolution. 'V 

 "Protection of Fish,"" is a \-ery dece])tive phrase a 

 one man thinks is pi-otection another man does 

 agree and we do not want to 1k' called upon to fa 

 resolution that does not mean anything much in 

 may man almost anything in another. 



Xow, as I sav, if this i;-entleman will bring 



