11 
A majority of the Commission recommended as a remedy a 
weekly close season of thirty-six hours at the mouth of the Fraser 
River in “big” years, and a sixty-hour close season in the inter- 
vening “ off” or “ poor” years; the thirty-six hour close time to 
prevail outside the mouth of the Fraser in all years. A minority, 
consisting of Messrs. Sweeny and Babcock, held that these 
measures were insufficient, and recommended the prohibition of all 
fishing in the Fraser River above New Westminster from July rst 
to September 15th, restricting the length and depth of nets, the 
enforcement of the thirty-six hour weekly close season in all the 
waters of the Fraser, and the absolute closing of the river from 
August 25th to September 15th each year, or, as an alternative, the 
prohibition of all fishing on both sides of the International Bound- 
ary Line for four years, and the enforcement of the foregoing 
regulations thereafter. 
As all these proposals would prove ineffective without the 
co-operation of the fishermen and canners of Puget Sound, con- 
ferences were held with representatives of the State of Washington 
which resulted in the passing of an Act of the Washington Legisla- 
ture prohibiting salmon fishing, excepting with hook and line, from 
6 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Sunday in each week, the prohibition of all 
salmon fishing from August 25th to September 15th in each year, 
and the closing of all fish traps and pound nets during the weekly 
close season. The law also provided for a fine of not less than $250 
and not more than $1,000, or imprisonment for 25 days minimum, 
or one year maximum, for violation of the regulations. Although 
this Act was classed as an emergency measure and declared opera- 
tive immediately on its passing the Legislature in 1906, it was 
“more honoured in the breach than the observance,” for many of 
the Puget Sound fishermen and fishing companies went on fishing 
as if no such law existed. A few were summoned and fined (the 
minimum) but preferred paying the penalty to closing their traps, 
finding the violation of the law the more profitable. Needless to 
say, the non-observance of the law was a disappointment to the 
Canadian fishermen, as they had hoped for the co-operation of their 
United States competitors in the effort to preserve the fishing 
grounds and had received solemn assurances of such co-operation, 
only to see the restrictions ignored and the old destructive methods 
continued. 
An understanding of the situation may be gleaned from the 
following extracts from Mr. Babcock’s Annual Report for 1903 :— 
I believe that the decrease in the run and the absence of fish upon the spawn- 
ing grounds this year is attributable te excessive fishing. An investigation of the 
conditions existing on the fishing grounds for the past five years amply demon- 
