THR SOUTHERN SPRING MACKEREL FISHERY. 
215 
Onr people wanted menbaden protected by law from this wholesale slaughter in order that our 
fishermen might have them to use for bait in catching cod and other largo (ish. And by the way, sir, 
if this had been done suliiciontly early tbe trouble between us and Canada would never have occurred, 
because we would have had an abundance of bait upon our own coast to supply all our fishermen. 
When, however, it was proposed to protect the menhaden by legislation the same reasons and 
excuses were urged against it that we have listened to to-day. The lishmougers and the great corpo- 
rations interested in the product of these (isheries defeated fora time theefibrts made for the preservation 
of the menhaden. At last these fish loft onr shores, and during the last eight or nine years there has 
not been enough menhaden caught on the coast of Maine to supi)ly bait for our fishermen. 
The gentleman from New York [Mr. Hewitt] says that out of ten thousand eggs deposited by the 
female fish not more than twoescape destruction before the young fish are hatched, and he by allowing 
the fish to bo taken in spawning time would destroy these two. My colleague has referred to the 
effort made in Maine to protect by legislation the lobster from annihilation. These efforts finally 
succeeded in procuring the enactment of a law providing for a close time, and that lob,sters less than 
a certain length should not be exposed for sale. 
But this law, while it has arrested the destruction, and I hope may prevent the extermination, 
of the lobster, came too late to save it from being so seriously diminished, both in numbers and size, 
that this fish once so plentiful and cheap is now comparatively rare and dear, and will average less 
than one-half its size of twenty years ago. Still, we had the same experience in obtaining legislation 
to j)reserve the lobster that we had in trying to save the menhaden, the same we have here to-day 
in our efforts to i>revent the extermination of the mackerel. Onr opponents quoted from scientific 
gentlemen, produced tbe testimony of theoretical experts, and talked of tbe enormous number of 
eggs which the fish deposited, but what the practical fisherman said proved to be correct and what 
they petitioned for was shown, as I am .sure it will be in this ease, to be wise. 
My friend from New York says we are selfish in this thing; that we want this bill to pass so these 
fish will be caught on the coasts of Maine and iMas.sachusetts. He, however, recognizes the fact that 
they are all Maine and Massachusetts fishermen who catch these mackerel. What does it matter to 
him whether they catch them in one part of the ocean or another? Does he think they are any better 
caught off the coast of New York than when they are caught off the coasts of Maine and Massachusetts ? 
What has been said in favor of the bill I know to be true by experience, because I have seen 
mackerel caught ever since my boyhood. 
If mackerel are caught before the 1st day of .luno and put on the market for sale, very few 
people who know what good wholesome mackerel are will want them. Why? Because they are then 
a poor article of food. Indeed this involves the ([uestion of good or poor food for the people. 
Mackerel when spawning time is over, and they have had an opportunity to fatten, are, as the 
gentleman has said, the finest lish in the world. But before that time, when caught off the coast 
here, I am bound to say from experience they are the meanest fish that swim — too mean to be eaten 
by anybody, rich or poor. 
Now, Mr. Speaker, I did not intend, a.s I said when I rose, to make any lengthy remarks upon 
this subject, but I do not see why the people of this country are not as much interested in having a 
close time for fishing for mackerel as they are in having the fisheries protected in our several States 
by legal enactment. I do not see why the people of the whole country who consume fish, as well as 
the fishermen themselves on the coast who earn their livelihood by fishing, should not be as much 
interested in the protection of this great article of food and this important industry as they are in 
the protection of game, which in many of onr States is so zealously guarded. 
We are everywhere establishing fish-breeding places in order to cultivate the supply of food- 
fishes, and I am glad to be able to say that the salmon on the coast of Maine, which had been growing 
scarce, have sensildy increased since fish-breeding was established at Bncksport. And while we are 
taking so much jiains to propagate our valuable fishes, does not a wise economj^ demand that we 
should prevent as far as possible their wanton destruction? 
Mr. Bu'itervvouth. I wish to ask the gentleman from Maine, with his permission, a question in 
connection with one remark of the gentleman from New York. He says the testimony of gentlemen 
who are interested in the success of this industry points to the fact that the spawning season is early 
in .lune and .Inly, and not largely in March and April. What are the facts and what is the testimony 
which the gentleman has on that xiarticular point? 
«Mr. Milliicen. Mr. Speaker, I desire to say, in answer to my friend from Ohio, that if I should 
attempt to reply to the immense amount of misinformation which the gentleman from New York has 
this morning given to the House on the subject of fish and fisheries of different kinds, I think I would 
