﻿76 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  THE 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  certain 
  waters 
  when 
  there 
  is 
  every 
  reason 
  to 
  believe 
  that 
  the 
  expendi- 
  

   tures 
  are 
  for 
  the 
  most 
  part 
  utterly 
  wasted. 
  The 
  situation 
  demands 
  

   the 
  attention 
  of 
  Congress 
  and 
  the 
  adoption 
  of 
  a 
  definite 
  policy 
  to 
  

   meet 
  the 
  case. 
  The 
  question 
  arises 
  whether 
  the 
  Federal 
  Government 
  

   should 
  not 
  insist, 
  as 
  a 
  condition 
  of 
  continued 
  Government 
  aid 
  in 
  

   behalf 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  fisheries, 
  on 
  an 
  amount 
  of 
  protection 
  for 
  the 
  

   fishes 
  cultivated 
  that 
  common 
  sense 
  shows 
  to 
  be 
  necessary 
  for 
  the 
  

   maintenance 
  of 
  the 
  supply. 
  The 
  alternative 
  course 
  would 
  seem 
  to 
  be 
  

   the 
  assumption 
  of 
  Federal 
  jurisdiction 
  over 
  migratory 
  fishes 
  and 
  

   fishes 
  in 
  interstate 
  waters. 
  

  

  A 
  FISHERIES 
  RESEARCH 
  LABORATORY 
  ON 
  THE 
  PACIFIC 
  COAST. 
  

  

  The 
  Bureau 
  now 
  has 
  two 
  laboratories 
  on 
  the 
  Atlantic 
  coast, 
  one 
  

   in 
  the 
  Mississippi 
  Valley, 
  and 
  one 
  authorized 
  on 
  the 
  Gulf 
  of 
  Mexico 
  

   for 
  the 
  scientific 
  and 
  practical 
  investigation 
  of 
  problems 
  relating 
  to 
  

   the 
  fisheries. 
  On 
  the 
  Pacific 
  coast 
  it 
  is 
  unprovided 
  with 
  laboratory 
  

   facilities, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  felt 
  that 
  this 
  deficiency 
  should 
  be 
  corrected 
  as 
  

   speedily 
  as 
  possible. 
  

  

  The 
  fisheries 
  of 
  the 
  Pacific 
  coast, 
  including 
  Alaska, 
  are 
  valued 
  at 
  

   upward 
  of 
  $22,000,000, 
  and 
  their 
  products 
  are 
  of 
  such 
  character 
  as 
  

   to 
  enter 
  into 
  consumption 
  in 
  all 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  country. 
  There 
  are 
  

   many 
  potential 
  products 
  which 
  are 
  not 
  yet 
  utilized 
  for 
  lack 
  of 
  definite 
  

   information 
  concerning 
  their 
  qualities 
  and 
  merits, 
  and 
  there 
  are 
  others 
  

   the 
  handling 
  of 
  which 
  can 
  be 
  greatly 
  improved. 
  The 
  Bureau 
  believes 
  

   that 
  if 
  it 
  were 
  provided 
  with 
  the 
  equipment 
  needed 
  for 
  practical 
  inves- 
  

   tigation 
  and 
  experiment 
  it 
  could 
  increase 
  the 
  volume, 
  improve 
  the 
  

   quality, 
  and 
  cheapen 
  the 
  cost 
  of 
  the 
  yield 
  of 
  these 
  important 
  fisheries 
  

   and 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  lower 
  the 
  price 
  to 
  the 
  consumer. 
  

  

  This 
  form 
  of 
  aid 
  to 
  the 
  fishing 
  industry 
  is 
  believed 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  strictly 
  

   pertinent 
  function 
  of 
  the 
  Federal 
  Government, 
  and 
  the 
  early 
  estab- 
  

   lishment 
  of 
  an 
  up-to-date 
  research 
  station 
  is 
  strongly 
  advocated. 
  

  

  INCREASED 
  FACILITIES 
  FOR 
  ALASKA 
  FISHERIES 
  SERVICE. 
  

  

  The 
  attention 
  of 
  Congress 
  has 
  been 
  drawn 
  by 
  the 
  Secretary, 
  in 
  

   deficiency 
  and 
  regular 
  estimates 
  submitted 
  on 
  behalf 
  of 
  the 
  Bureau, 
  

   to 
  the 
  urgent 
  need 
  for 
  additional 
  men 
  and 
  vessels 
  to 
  enforce 
  the 
  

   Alaska 
  fishery 
  laws 
  and 
  to 
  make 
  inspections 
  and 
  investigations 
  on 
  

   which 
  to 
  base 
  recommendations 
  for 
  new 
  laws, 
  new 
  regulations, 
  or 
  

   amendments 
  to 
  existing 
  laws. 
  To 
  properly 
  carry 
  out 
  the 
  duties 
  

   imposed 
  by 
  Congress 
  there 
  should 
  be 
  a 
  thorough 
  patrol 
  of 
  the 
  fLshing 
  

   districts 
  of 
  Alaska 
  each 
  season 
  by 
  agents 
  of 
  the 
  Bureau. 
  This 
  

   involves 
  travel 
  along 
  25,000 
  miles 
  of 
  shore, 
  and 
  necessitates 
  a 
  con- 
  

   siderable 
  addition 
  to 
  the 
  present 
  force 
  of 
  men 
  and 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  small 
  

   vessels 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  which 
  the 
  agents 
  may 
  be 
  transported 
  from 
  fishery 
  

   to 
  fishery 
  without 
  being 
  under 
  the 
  necessity, 
  as 
  at 
  present, 
  of 
  being 
  

  

  