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Secretary STEwaRT: That is what the courts are going to decide. Well, gentle- 
men, these are all the printed resolutions, but there is one thing that seems to us 
in Canada to be passing strange, and that is, why in American waters no close 
season is in existence for whitefish. It seems to us that when we take pains to — 
spare the whitefish, we do some good, but I understand that in your country, 
you have no close season ! 
Mr. WHITAKER: We have considered this question in all its points and have 
not failed to consider all the benefits of a close season, but there is an economical 
question beyond all that, which has held usin check : Whether it would be better 
to lay the restriction on the meshes of the nets or upon the size of marketable 
fish found in the possession of dealers is a question. It has resolved itself into 
our procuring the passage of an act regarding the meshes of gill nets and the 
backs of pound nets. We met with violent opposition, as all do who attempt 
such legislation. One fisherman will say that gill netting is all right, and that it 
is the pound net fellow who does all the damage. The pound net fellow will say 
that it is God’s providence that pound nets are permitted to be fished, and that it 
is the gill net fellow who is killing all the fish. It is a difficult question as to 
where you will draw the line. However, until we can get enforcement of the 
law, it is nonsensical to pass laws, because you beget a disregard of ali laws and 
create the idea that they can be evaded. Another matter about the close season 
is that we have 2,000 miles of coast, covering three or four degrees of latitude. 
You can readily understand that fish will run at different timesin different 
localities. In some localities they fish for nothing but herring, while in others,a 
different class of fish is sought for, and it is at such meetings as this, that prac- 
tical fishermen should be called together to discuss these questions with us. I 
may tell you that at one time we did call them in to discuss these subjects, and 
it was a monkey and a parrot time. You could not get any two of them to agree 
on anything. 
Secretary STEWART: We had the same difficulty when the matter was re- 
ferred to. 
Mr. WHITAKER: You see it is most repugnant to people on our side to at- 
tempt to say by statute that a man cannot go just where he likes and do what 
he pleases in shooting or catching fish. They have often threatened to cut off 
our appropriation; they cannot do it, but that is their spirit. A gentleman 
representing one of our districts resides near a shooting ground at the mouth of 
the Detroit River. His son had gone on to these preserved grounds poaching, 
and they got after him and punished him. The old man got into the legislature 
to get even, and when we presented our application for an appropriation to the 
legislature, it dragged most unaccountably. I found that this old gentleman 
was on the Committee of Ways and Means, which passed upon appropriations, 
and he said to me: “ Youcannot get your bill. through before J get this bill of 
mine.” His bill permitted people to fish or hunt anywhere irrespective of pri- 
vate rights! He had the influence, and his bill was carried after striking out 
shooting and letting fishing stand. But of course it would not stand the tests of 
the courts two minutes, as it was unconstitutional. 
Secretary Stewart: That is all the business I have in the way of offered 
resolutions, but there are one or two I would like to offer before we disperse. 
Dr. Smiru: I may say that we think the hatchery will be located on the St. 
Lawrence River near Clayton. As soon as it is determined on, everything 
will be done to get the building up and fitted in order to do good work. The 
Commissioner told me that when he got it in good working order he expected to 
