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We now depend on Lake Erie and Georgian Bay. The former are the freshest 
and best. This has incited the formation of the organization of which I have the 
honour to be the secretary. We are interested in it, not that we are fish Commis- 
sioners, fishermen, or fish dealers; we are simply tish-eaters, fond of the whitefish, 
and want it fresh, plentiful and cheap for ourselves and our neighbours—the poor 
and therich. In the belief that we can do some good to the community, we have 
put our heart and soul into this work and determined to bring about a restora- 
tion of cheap fish food to the depleted waters of Lake Ontario. 
In the meeting to-day we see that our labours have not been in vain, and we 
feel most grateful to you, our neighbours across the waters and East and West, 
for your kind, earnest co-operation and interest in our endeavours, and more than 
pleased to see the work enlarge and extend to all the great lakes. It is a grand, . 
philanthropic work that we can well be proud of. While our governments are 
giving so much thought and expense to the advancement of land farming, our 
vast water farms should not be neglected. Fish is an equally important article 
of food. It is a very necessary diet—essential to health. It would be better if 
we all consumed more fish and less meat. Scientists tell us that for our own 
good, as a matter of health, we Americans eat far too much meat. Relatively, 
fish to-day is more expensive than meat, and: unless reform comes soon, fish will 
be out of reach of the poor. Our markets must depend on the great lakes; there 
is no other source for market purposes for fresh water fish. Taking Lake Ontario 
as you find it to-day, almost destitute of fish food—nothing but herring and 
bloaters in it now—what would be your idea for immediate course for United 
States and Canada to pursue to bring about a restoration of those waters ? 
Mr. ForD: The first thing I would do would be to put whitefish fry in there 
by the million. 
Q. Before you protect the waters ? 
A. You appreciate that it takes three years for the fish to come to ma- 
turity ; you would not see any effect until after three years — probably the 
fourth year. Some five years ago Lake Erie was almost depleted of whitefish, 
they had moved along up the lake; and then they began to fill the plants 
with whitefish, and the fishermen moved their nets down to Lake Erie, and for 
the last five years our Detroit river planting has fish that come down to Lake 
Krie. The plants of the United States Commission, of the Ohio Commission, and 
the Pennsylvania Commission, have all been almost largely in Lake Erie, and all 
helped to stock Erie. They probably do not go through Lake St. Clair to Lake 
Huron, but probably go to Lake Erie. The whitefish in Lake Erie is the best 
proof of the success of the propagation of whitefish in the world. In reference 
to the brook trout, I will say that forty years ago there were no brook trout 
south of the Boardman river, which is nearly on a level with the upper peninsula, 
and to-day there is fishing almost down to Kalamazoo, in almost every stream in 
the state. 
Mr. AMSDEN: Here is the United States government which has offered to 
come in and establish a hatchery on Lake Ontario. They say, first, that New 
York must pass protective laws before they take a step in it. 
Mr. Post: I should certainly do it. Your State Board is an excellent Board: 
I was a good deal pleased with what Senator McNaughton said. He said there has 
_ been a great deal of money expended ; well, it has not been as well directed as 
in some other States, but it is the pioneer State: it has taught us all what to do. 
We are pupils of Seth Green. And of course New York has had to stand a good 
part of the expense in the first place, and a good deal of that has been expended 
