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In regard to the letter read from Mr. Dunning of Wisconsin, I see he 
touches upon a point upon which our Commissioners are unanimous; that is, 
that a restriction should be made not only as to the size of the fish marketed 
but as to the size caught. There are people who come to us—our own people, 
and strangers whe come in droves—and they fish not so much for food but to make 
records, and every two-inch minnow is counted as a fish and taken away, or kill- 
ed, and our waters are depleted in that way to a much larger extent than anyone 
can imagine. We think a restriction should be made upon the size of the fish 
caught and the fish to be marketed. We are going to recommend the establish- 
ment of fish hatcheries in Ontario—we have no fish hatcheries now ; there is one 
in Newcastle, it is true, and one in Sandwich, but they are Dominion govern- 
ment fish hatcheries—and we propose to have fish hatcheries of our own and pay 
special attention to fish rights and fish; and in fact in every way possible to try 
and so arrange matters and so carry out the intelligent ideas which we borrow 
from others, as to make our Province a thoroughly good fishing country again, 
We have had no permanent wardens. Our wardens are paid a nominal salary of 
forty dollars a year, and not wishing to incur the ill-will of neighbours, they very 
wisely pocket the forty dollars a year and do nothing. There is no protection, and it 
simply arises from the fact that it has been everybody’s business and nobody’s 
business in particular to enforce the laws. We look forward, gentlemen, with 
much anxiety, also with much pleasure, in anticipation that you will help us in 
these matters, aiding us to arrive at some sort of reciprocal law, some sort of re- 
ciprocal feeling whereby the two countries will be more united over this Fish and 
Game matter, which will lead toa better feeling on both sides of the line and will 
lead to more close protection of game. 
I think, gentlemen, that this is all I have to say at present. Later on,as the 
discussion proceeds I may have more to add. 
I am very glad indeed to see so large a meeting, and am sure I shall be able 
to tell our Government what a good and interesting meeting we have had, and 
what a good reception we have had here; and I hope when next we meet— 
because I hope we shall meet frequently—I shall be able to make more happ 
statements than I have done to-day, because to-day our cause is deplorable. T 
hope that next time the tale I tell you will be a brighter and better one. 
SECRETARY: We have with us a Commissioner from Michigan, and from all 
Ican read from their reports, that State has done the most thorough and effective 
work on the great lakes of all the States, and, if he will, I would like to hear 
something from him in answer to the Canadian Commissioner about the close 
season that he speaks of there, more especially. 
Mr. Hoyt Post: Mr. Chairman, there is another subject connected with 
the call of this meeting that I am, and our Commission is, more interested in than 
_ that which has been suggested. I, myself, am inclined to agree with what the 
gentleman from Ontario has said of the desirability of a close season in whitefish 
catching, but there are some things which he suggested which come to my mind 
and remind me of the difficulties in the way. Now, he discusses the proposition 
as to whether or not pound nets should be permitted. At the present day you 
could no more abolish the pound net in the State of Michigan than you could 
fly. You go among the fishermen and you would find that the pound net fisher. 
men would claim that it is the gill nets that do all the harm; and the gill net 
fishermen claim it is the pound net fishermen who doall the harm. Largely they 
are both correct when they are speaking of one other. Now, with reference to 
the size of the mesh: That is the line, principally, upon which the Michican 
Commissioners thus far have been directing their efforts to protecting the white- 
fish. It is very well to say that you shall not catch a fish beyond a certain 
