8 
Nevertheless, there has been a disposition throughout the State to abide 
by the law and we find fewer violations away from the Mississippi and 
Illinois rivers than every before. 
A movement is on foot among fishermen of the State, to have the use 
of the seine discontinued. They realize, as no one else can, the fearful 
destruction of fish in hot weather téaused by the seine, and’many of them 
believe that it should be abolished altogether or its use prohibited for 
a period of at least two years. Some few fishermen however, are persis- 
tent violators and are opposed to any form of law that they imagine in- 
fringes on their personal rights. They do not seem to realize, or at least 
do not care, that if their wasteful methods were allowed to continue un- 
restricted their efforts to obtain a livelihood from this source would be 
fruitless. Fortunately these fishermen are becoming less in number each 
year, although they still cause the commission more or less trouble. 
The steamer “Illinois” has been employed in patrolling the river 
during the closed season, and has been the means of assisting greatly 
in preventing fishermen from taking fish during the spawning season. 
It has also been indispensable in the work of collecting young fish from 
the overflows of the Illinois river and tributary streams. It is equipped 
with tanks which are provided with aerating apparatus. By this means 
fresh air is forced through the water, a constant supply provided and 
the fish can be kept alive for an indefinite period. Such provision is 
absolutely necessary during the hot weather, because the fish when re- 
moved from the sloughs and bayous are already in a rather low state of 
vitality, and the young fish being naturally delicate, die rapidly upon 
being removed from the water, unless unusual provisions are made for 
their safe keeping. The utmost care must be exercised in handling.the 
fish and the crew of the “Illinois” has been very successful in this work. 
From the boat the fish are removed to the station at Havana and 
are there placed in tanks where the water is tempered gradually until 
the desired condition is reached. An abrupt change in temperature 
would prove disastrous but the slow change does not effect the fish. 
They are kept in these receptacles for several days, or until they be- 
come sufficiently hardened for shipment. They are then delivered in 
cans to any point of the State from which an application has been made. 
A messenger accompanies each shipment of fish to its destination, and 
with a dipper stirs the water and keeps it properly aerated so the fish 
will not die. This work has been unusually successful this year, very 
few fish dying after being put in captivity. The same good results re- 
warded the messengers in their work of transporting the fish over the — 
State. In every instance the fish arrived at their destination in good 
condition. This work has put the commission in close touch with the 
people of the inland towns, and the replenishing of our streams has re- 
ceived the warmest praise from these communities. 
The commission has been much encouraged in this work by the in- 
- telligence manifested in it by our chief executive, who is thoroughly ac- 
quainted with the subject and comprehends the necessity for the protec- 
tion, preservation and cultivation of this great source of cheap food sup- 
ply for the people. We believe that if the laws as they exist are well 
