American Fisheries Society. 35 
would be in still better condition if they were properly protected, 
and the method of protection is a problem that still confronts 
TS - 2 : 
President Joslyn: I am very glad to hear these remarks of 
Mr. Adams commendatory on the work of the fish commission. 
I am proud to say that we really never have had any politics in 
the commission. 
We have believed that the work in which the commission is 
engaged is a serious one; we have believed furthermore that it 
was a work which would interest the people of the state. We 
are engaged in the same work that you gentlemen of the society 
are engaged in—work not for ourselves, not for our immediate 
friends or relatives, but almost exclusively a work for those who 
are to come after us. Because of the character of our work we 
believe we can see what the future is to bring forth in regard to 
the food fishes of this country, unless some work like that in 
which we are engaged is done; and so 1 take pleasure in saying 
that, so far as the Michigan Fish Commission is concerned, and 
1 know that so far as our society is concerned, we have let poli- 
tics severely alone and given our whole time and attention to the 
work which we had in hand, and that is the reason, Mr. Toast- 
master, why we could give so little time to the generous propos- 
tions for entertainment which you made when you found out 
that we were coming to Grand Rapids. But I will say io you, 
and I believe the members of this society will agree with me, 
that the papers which have been read at the meetings thus far 
held in’Grand Rapids, and the discussions which followed the 
reading of those papers, have been of the very best, and will, be- 
yond all question, be productive of good results, not only of ad- 
vantage to us in Michigan, but to every fish and game com- 
mission throughout the United States which has had repre- 
sentatives here to hear and take part in these discussions. 
I take occasion here now, because it probably will not again be 
afforded me, as our time will be fully taken up with other mat- 
ters tomorrow, to say to you one and all that I most thoroughly 
and gratefully appreciate the honor which you gave to me a 
year ago, of presiding over your deliberations. It is an honor 
which I shall always remember and I realize that even if our 
