American Fisheries Society. 143 
a reasonable amount of water, even if polluted or contaminated 
by deleterious matter which is destructive of fish food, if not of 
the fishes themselves. Sometimes the mistake is made of dump- 
ing fry or yearlings in the main body of streams or the open 
water of ponds or lakes, where but little fish food exists, and 
where they are soon taken in by the larger fish. 
It has been said that the proper way to train a child is to 
begin with its grand-mother. So the proper way to protect fish 
of inland waters is to begin with the water itself. Practicable 
fish-ways should be placed in every dam or other obstruction. 
Manufacturing plants and mines should be compelled by law to 
construct settling ponds for waste liquid products, so that the 
overflow would consist of comparatively innocuous water. In 
all states where irrigation is practiced, laws should be enacted 
providing for some effectual device for keeping fish and fry out 
of the ditches. Close seasons for all game—and food-fish dur- 

ing the breeding seasons, should be established, and severe pen- 
alties should be exacted for the violation of such laws. Every 
peace officer, or officer of the courts, should be made a game 
and fish warden with full powers, in addition to the regularly 
appointed wardens. 
The sewage of towns and cities is another problem that will 
have to be dealt with eventually, though at present it receives 
but little attention. If these things can be accomplished better 
in the future than they have been in the past, and more care be 
taken in stocking waters with fry or yearlings by depositing 
them in the smallest tributaries, or shallow, protected places, 
where there is a reasonable amount of food suitable for them, 
we will be on the road toward a better state of things, so that 
by the continual stocking of waters with fish artificially propa- 
gated, a fair amount of fish life may still be maintained in inland 
waters. 
I consider that it should not only be the privilege and pleas- 
ure, but the duty of this Society, individually and collectively, 
to employ every means to educate the people to a proper sense 
and appreciation of protective measures, not only for fish, but 
for the waters as well, and to use its influence in shaping such 
wise, adequate and effectual legislation as may be necessary to 
that end. 
