41 
of the census taken at intervals ofa term of years, 
determine conclusively the facts as to aggregate increase 
or decrease in the period considered. Again, we may 
make the comparison by geographical divisions, seeking 
in this way to arrive at local fluctuations which are not 
indicated in the general aggregate ; and again we may 
take up the special fisheries for certain important econ- 
omic species, and by comparison of products determine 
the fact of increase or decrease in regard to this _parti- 
cular fishery. 
I hold in my hand a table giving the comparative 
summary of the fisheries of the entire United States for 
the years 1880 and 1892. 


Value of products 

|Persons Employed| Capital Invested 

1880. 1892.* 1880. 1892. 1880. 1892. 


New England States.) 37,043 37,025 | $19,937,607 | $19,859,508 | $12,509,071 | $12,445,569 
MiddleAtlantic States) 59,853 90,685 | . 12,685,343 | 19,405,151 | 16,360,517 | 19,047,580 








South Atlantic States 7.540 16,138 695,160 1,693,076 1,256,578 1,589,894 
Gulf States............ 5)132 12,019 545,584 2,993,080 1,227,544 2)499)495 
Pacific States......... 16,803 "| 16,776 25748,383 8,873,813 59545+588 7y258,925 
Great Lakes Region..} 5,050 95738 1)345)975 5)478,080 1,784,050 | 2,471,355 
Grand total .... .| 131,426 182,376 37,958,040} 58,302,7°8| 38,683,348} 45,312,818 



This table is taken from a report on the statistics of 
the fisheries of the United States, prepared in the divi- 
sion of Fisheries of the United States Fish Commission, 
and based upon field investigations conducted by the 
employees of the Commission in part under the direct- 
ion of Mr. J. W. Collins when Assistant in charge of 
the Division of Fisheries of the Commission, and in 
part by his successor, Mr. H. M. Smith, now in charge 
of that work The data are taken in large part from 
the books of the fishermen. They have been collated 
with care and judgment, and may be relied upon to 


*This year is placed at the head of the columns because it is the most recent one 
to which the statistics relate, and the one to which most of the figures apply. The 
data for the New England, Middle Atlantic and Pacific States are for that year, those 
for the South Atlantic States are for 1891, and those for the Gulf region and Great 
Lakes are for 1890. 
