338 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



The organization of a division of the Fish Commission to which may 

 be referred all matters specially pertaiuiug to commercial fishing, in- 

 cluding statistics, has been a matter which for some years has received 

 the serious consideration of those who have been prominently identi- 

 fied with the work of the Commission. As early as 1885 a committee, 

 acting under authority of Professor Baird, submitted a scheme of or- 

 ganization of the Commission, which contemplated among other things 

 a division which would be charged with duties and responsibilities simi- 

 lar to those now devolving upon the Division of Fisheries. It was not, 

 however, deemed advisable at that time to accept the plan submitted, 

 though it is only just to say that it met the approval of the Commis- 

 sioner, aud it has served as a basis for the organization of the work 

 that has since been adopted. 



The non-adoption of the organization recommended at that time was 

 largely due to the fact that Professor Baird's administration was essen- 

 tially paternal. During the formative period of the Fish Commission 

 he watched over its work with true parental solicitude. Having thought 

 out the problems he desired to solve, arranged in his own mind the line 

 of investigation to be followed by individuals, and considered the means 

 at his command, present and prospective, he naturally hesitated to re- 

 linquish personal control of affairs, and preferred instead to endure the 

 cares and responsibilities which, with the rapid development of the 

 work, weighed heavily upon him in the last years of his life. 



It is, however, proper to state that he was in a large measure relieved 

 in the study of the methods and relations of the fisheries, as well as the 

 collection of statistics, by the work performed by Professor Goode am 

 his associates in 1880, and subsequently, in cooperation with the Censu! 

 Office. This work covered a very wide scope of investigation of this 

 nature, and rendered it unnecessary while it was in progress for the 

 Fish Commission to attempt any similar undertaking on a large scale, 

 though it is true that certain additional investigations were made and 

 a number of interesting independent papers were prepared and pub- 

 lished bearing upon the methods and relations, as well as the current 

 status and development of the fisheries. 



In 1885, however, when the termination of the Washington treaty 

 and the anticipation of negotiations for a new treaty rendered it neces- 

 sary to have information concerning the current condition of the fish 

 cries, Professor Baird made an effort to acquire statistics of the vessel 

 fisheries and to obtain certain other data which he deemed were neces- 

 sary for the information of the Government. The inquiry contemplated 

 then was largely of a statistical nature, and the means were not avail- 

 able for prosecuting the work upon a basis sufficiently large to meet all 

 requirements. But with the assistance expected from the Treasury 

 Department by an arrangement which was made to furnish, through 

 the Customs Division, statistical returns of the vessel fisheries, it was 

 anticipated that much could be accomplished in the direction of obtain- 



