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ee —eééESSSSSS_ « 
The restoration and maintenance of the whitefish fisheries of Lake Erie, or of 
the salmon fishery of the lakes and rivers, would either of them furnish sufficient 
motive for liberal expenditures on the part of the Government, if we consider the 
matter from a purely practical and economic standpoint. It is not only possible, 
itis entirely practicable, to restore and maintain these fisheries, by adequate 
recourse to means and agencies entirely within our control. 
The regeneration of the fisheries must be accomplished through fish-culturalk 
work, systematically and persistently pursued. Their maintenance must be 
assured by concurrent regulation of the lake fisheries by the United States and 
Canada, and by the enforcement on the part of the State of New York of such 
regulations and requirements as will permit the salmon to ascend to their spawning 
grounds. In the absence of such regulations and requirements, it will not be 
reasonable to expect that the results of fish-cultural work will be permanent or 
compensating, however extensive such work may be. 
A fish-cultural station, planned to meet all the requirements, must be very 
extensive and complete in all its appointments, and will involve larger expendi- 
ture than would be required for a station devoted exclusively to the production 
of whitefish or the salmonide.” 
CHAIRMAN: Dr. Smith asks to be relieved from further practical service on 
this commission for the reasous he has stated: the question will be on granting 
leave. : Carried. 
Senator McNAUGHTON : Mr. Chairman, Gentlemen, no arguments are needed 
in support of those advanced by Mr. Amsden, that there should be action taken to 
increase fish food, and increase the number of fish in our lakes and inland streams. 
From the earliest organisation of the Fish Commission in this State I have taken 
a deep interest in the subject, and done what I could, either as a private citizen or 
legislator, to facilitate its work. I think there are very few of us who realise the 
important position, geographically, of the State of New York as connected with 
the great lakes and streams that are well calculated to furnish an almost endless. 
supply of fish; and what I shail say will apply more particularly to this State and 
to the Provinces. I recognise the importance of enactments by the different States 
bordering on the great lakes, and by the Provinces, of uniform laws for the pro- 
tection of fish and fisheries, and there is no doubt the States adjoining the great. 
lakes are more interested than those away from the northern lakes. I agree with 
the Commissioner from Michigan that the matter of fish, and fish protection, should 
be left to the States along the shores of the lakes, and not transferred to the 
general government. In my judgment, the general government, in matters of that 
kind, acts too slowly ; the machinery is too complicated, and I believe that each 
of the States, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, etc. are entirely 
competent to fully protect any matters of that kind; and I should very much 
regret if the general management of the fisheries was turned over to the Govern- 
ment instead of being left to the Commissioners of the various states. I think very 
few of our citizens realise this fact, that the State of New York, bounded on the 
west by Lake Erie and the Niagara River; on the north by Lake Ontario—flowing 
past us three-quarters of the fresh water of the habitable glohe—and St. Lawrence 
River, the waters of which flow on to the ocean; east by the Hudson River and the 
Atlantic Ocean, which of course furnishes an abundant supply of fish; in addition 
there are the inland lakes and rivers suitable for fish and fish-culture. There is no 
state in the Union, Michigan not excepted, that is so favourably situated for — 
furnishing an unlimited supply of fish of the proper kind for table use as the 
State of New York. I admit that Michigan has a larger number of miles of lake 
shore, but it has not the variety of water that this State has. ‘ Comparatively it 
