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  on 
  the 
  subject 
  (of 
  the 
  diminution 
  of 
  valuable 
  fishes) 
  with 
  

   the 
  view 
  of 
  ascertaining 
  whether 
  any 
  and 
  what 
  diminution 
  

   in 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  the 
  food-fishes 
  of 
  the 
  coast 
  and 
  the 
  lakes 
  

   of 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  has 
  taken 
  place 
  ; 
  and, 
  if 
  so, 
  to 
  what 
  

   causes 
  the 
  same 
  is 
  due 
  ; 
  and 
  also 
  whether 
  any 
  and 
  what 
  

   protection, 
  prohibitory 
  or 
  precautionary 
  measures 
  should 
  

   be 
  adopted 
  in 
  the 
  premises, 
  and 
  to 
  report 
  upon 
  the 
  same 
  

   to 
  Congress." 
  

  

  The 
  resolution 
  establishing 
  the 
  office 
  of 
  Commissioner 
  

   of 
  Fisheries 
  required 
  that 
  the 
  person 
  to 
  be 
  appointed 
  should 
  

   be 
  a 
  civil 
  officer 
  of 
  the 
  Government, 
  of 
  proved 
  scientific 
  

   and 
  practical 
  acquaintance 
  with 
  the 
  fishes 
  of 
  the 
  coast, 
  to 
  

   serve 
  without 
  additional 
  salary. 
  The 
  choice 
  was 
  thus 
  

   practically 
  limited 
  to 
  a 
  single 
  man 
  for 
  whom, 
  in 
  fact, 
  the 
  

   office 
  had 
  been 
  created. 
  Professor 
  Spencer 
  F. 
  Baird 
  was 
  

   appointed 
  and 
  entered 
  at 
  once 
  upon 
  his 
  duties. 
  

  

  I 
  think 
  I 
  may 
  say 
  without 
  fear 
  of 
  challenge 
  that 
  very 
  

   much 
  of 
  the 
  improvement 
  in 
  the 
  condition 
  of 
  our 
  fisheries 
  

   has 
  been 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  wise 
  and 
  energetic 
  management 
  of 
  our 
  

   Commissioner. 
  Himself 
  an 
  eminent 
  man 
  of 
  science, 
  for 
  

   forty 
  years 
  in 
  the 
  front 
  rank 
  of 
  biological 
  investigation, 
  the 
  

   author 
  of 
  several 
  hundred 
  scientific 
  memoirs, 
  no 
  one 
  could 
  

   realise 
  more 
  thoroughly 
  the 
  importance 
  of 
  a 
  scientific 
  

   foundation 
  for 
  the 
  proposed 
  work. 
  

  

  His 
  position 
  as 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  that 
  most 
  influential 
  scientific 
  

   organisation, 
  the 
  Smithsonian 
  Institution, 
  given 
  by 
  an 
  

   Englishman 
  to 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  "for 
  the 
  increase 
  and 
  

   diffusion 
  of 
  useful 
  knowledge 
  among 
  men," 
  enabled 
  him 
  to 
  

   secure 
  at 
  once 
  the 
  aid 
  of 
  a 
  body 
  of 
  trained 
  specialists. 
  

  

  Pure 
  and 
  applied 
  science 
  have 
  laboured 
  together 
  always 
  

   in 
  the 
  service 
  of 
  the 
  Fish 
  Commission, 
  their 
  representatives 
  

   working 
  side 
  by 
  side 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  laboratories 
  ; 
  indeed, 
  

   much 
  of 
  the 
  best 
  work 
  both 
  in 
  the 
  investigation 
  of 
  the 
  

  

  