Juny 12, 1918] 
resentatives induced Congress to make a special 
appropriation for the purpose.’ 
This description of the Fish Commission, 
although written more than a quarter of a 
century ago, may stand as a description of 
the functions of the Bureau of Fisheries of 
the Department of Commerce to-day. 
Thus it is seen that in conceiving the idea 
of the Fish Commission, Professor Baird 
not only prepared working plans to re- 
lieve an immediate and menacing situation, 
but, by that act, brought into being an or- 
ganization which is itself a living and grow- 
ing thing, and, now become a part of the 
governmental mechanism, grows with the 
nation’s growth and contributes its own pe- 
culiar part towards the conservation and 
increase of the national wealth. 
More than thirty years ago, our govern- 
ment, through the work of Professor Baird, 
had already furnished a lesson in prepared- 
ness that the civilized world recognized, 
applauded, and in large measure, copied 
for its own. The following appreciations of 
Professor Baird’s achievements in this re- 
spect are taken from G. Brown Goode’s 
‘“The Smithsonian Institution,’’ Washing- 
ton, 1897, p. 188: 
In 1883, Professor Huxley remarked: ‘‘If the 
people of Great Britain are going to deal seriously 
with the sea fisheries, . . . unless they put into the 
organization of the fisheries, the energy, the in- 
genuity, the scientific knowledge and the profes- 
sional skill which characterizes my friend Pro- 
fessor Baird and his assistants, their efforts are 
not likely to come to very much good.’’ 
**T do not think,’’ he adds, ‘‘that any nation at 
the present time has comprehended the question of 
dealing with fish in so thorough, excellent and 
scientific a spirit as the United States.’’ 
The principal French authority, M. Raveret- 
Wattel, wrote: ‘‘Nowhere has government given 
so much enlightened care to the rational cultiva- 
tion of the waters, and afforded such efficient pro- 
tetion and generous encouragement.’’ 
3Report of Smithsonian Institution for 1888, 
pp. 84-85. 
SCIENCE 31 
The importance of Professor Baird’s services to 
fishery economy are, perhaps, more fully recog- 
nized in Germany than elsewhere, At the first 
great International Fisheries Exhibition, that held 
in Berlin in 1880, the juries in their official report 
said: ‘‘We must thank America for the progress 
which fish culture has made during the past dec- 
ade’’; and the magnificent silver trophy, the first 
prize of honor, was awarded to Professor Baird 
by the Emperor. 
On the same occasion the president of the Ger- 
man Fisheries Association designated Professor 
Baird as ‘‘the first fish-eulturist of the world.’’ 
One of the functions of the National 
Academy of Sciences, which was incorpo- 
rated by Congress in 1863, is that its mem- 
bers may act in an advisory capacity on 
scientifie questions. It is an important 
principle that is here recognized, and the 
country should have benefited more than 
it has done by this opportunity to secure 
expert advice. There are some indications 
that more attention is to be given to this 
principle than has been the rule in the past. 
It is therefore timely to suggest that both 
scientific man and legislator study the his- 
tory of the establishment of the commission 
to inquire into the fisheries problem, and to 
note the behavior of Professor Baird, the 
man of science, and of the legislators with 
whom he had dealings. There is to be noted 
on the one hand sincerity and the absence 
of self-interest, coupled with exhaustive 
knowledge of the subject in hand, and on 
the other an intelligent comprehension of 
the problem when stated by competent au- 
thority, and a genuine desire to improve 
conditions. Naturally there resulted from 
this combination practical legislation that 
has been of acknowledged benefit to the na- 
tion and to the world. 
The friendly relations which grew up be- 
tween Professor Baird and Congress may 
be seen from Professor Goode’s charming 
description : 
The power of his pursuasive suavity was never 
better seen than when in the presence of the com- 
