1382 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



have now been supplanted by an equipment which not only affords more com- 

 fort to fish and attendants, but makes it possible to transport the fish much 

 greater distances and with smaller percentage of loss. The cars, of which there 

 are now 6, are of standard size, and are attached to regular express and local 

 passenger trains. Each car has 20 or more large water tanks along the sides in 

 which to carry fish, compartments holding more than 1,000 gallons of reserve 

 water, a boiler room, and a plant for pumping both water and air into the fish 

 tanks. There are also an office, kitchen, pantries, refrigerator, and 6 Pullman 

 sleeping berths, with other facilities for the convenience and comfort of the crew 

 of 5 men (including a cook) who live on the car throughout the year. The Gov- 

 ernment furnishes the cook, fuel, and utensils, but the men provide their own 

 food. For small shipments of fish and for supplying places off the main railway 

 lines messengers detached from the cars carry fish in lo-gallon cans in baggage 

 cars. The distributions last year required travel amounting to 83,840 miles 

 by the cars, and 263,196 miles by dfetached messengers — a total of 347,036 

 miles — of which 11,826 for cars and 80,816 for messengers were furnished by 

 the railroads free of charge. 



POPULARITY OF THE WORK. 



There are few enterprises undertaken by the United States Government 

 that are more popular, meet with more general and generous support, and have 

 contributed more to the prosperity and happiness of a larger number of people 

 than the federal fish-cultural work, evidence of which fact is afforded by the 

 attitude and action of Congress. The comparatively large budget for the various 

 branches of the Bureau's work is voted each year without any opposition what- 

 ever, and the appropriations are increasing yearly. When special needs arise 

 and their merit is presented to Congress, special appropriations can usually be 

 obtained ; and government fish culture is so popular in the country at large and 

 the demand for new hatcheries is so widespread that an extraordinary number 

 of hatchery bills have been introduced and favorably considered in recent ses- 

 sions of Congress. The Bureau advocates the building of new hatcheries as one 

 of the best and most remunerative measures that can possibly be undertaken by 

 the Federal Government, but it rarely has to take the initiative, and on several 

 occasions the establishment of a hatchery has been proposed by Congress 

 before the necessity for it has actually developed. During each of the recent 

 sessions of Congress had all the bills providing for new hatcheries become laws 

 the Bureau would have been seriously handicapped in designing and construct- 

 ing the new buildings and ponds and in supplying competent persons to operate 

 them. In the first session of the Sixtieth Congress, which began in December, 

 1907, and ended in May, 1908, there were introduced loi distinct bills, carrying 

 an aggregate appropriation of $2,142,000, and providing for 74 hatcheries and 4 

 laboratories in 43 States and Territories. 



