The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1872-04-12
Tho Now Fish Bill.

The New Fish Bill.
As our readers are interested in all
questions relating to the propagation
and protection of fish we give synop
sis of the law passed by the Legislature
on the subject, and which is now in the
hands of the Governor for approval:
SEC. 1 prescribes a penalty against
any person who has in his or her pos
session, or who shall expose to sale any
shad caught in the Susquehanna or ltS
tributaries.
SEC. 9 provides that it shall not be
be lawful to catch fish in any way what
ever In any of the waters over which
this State has Jurisdiction, at any time
between the midnight on any Saturday
evening until su Lrise on any Monday
morning, the said offence to be deemed
a misdemeanor, and OIL conviction the
person or persons so offending shall be
sentenced to pay fine not exceeding
two hundred dollars, or undergo an i'm
prisonment not e;ceeding one year, or
both, or either, at the discretion of the
court, and sheriff. and constableS and
their deputies are hereby authorized
and required to suppress all such fish,
ing, using such means and force as may
be necessary to arrest such persons
found in the commission of the offence
and sieze such boats and their apparel,
tackle, implements, nets, et ceterd, as
may be used or employed in the same;
the said persons to be tried and punish
cd as aforesaid and the property taken
to be sold at public sale by the said
sheriffs and constables, and due public
notice given, the proceeds to be turned
over TO the treasures of the proper
counties or cities bordering upon or en-
bracing the stream or streams whereon
the offence shall have been committed.
SEC. provides that it shall not be
lawful to fish with nets or any other
method of entrapping fish except with
hoak and line, within half mile Of
auy part of any dam or its schute in
which there is or may hereafter be any
schute or fish ladder for navigation or
for the purpose of the passage of fish up
or down any stream in this Common
wealth and any person or persons SO
offending shall be deemed guilty of
misdemeanor and on conviction there
of shall be sentenced to pay fine not
exceeding two hundred dollars and un-
dergo an Imprisonment not exceeding
twelve months or both or either at the
discretion of the court.
SEC. 5. appoints board of Commits.
sioners to stock our inland streams, and
10 execute the laws in relation thereto.
SEC. provides that the board of
fishery commissioners by this act Great
ed are hereby authorized to have con-
strUcted or opened by contract with the
lowest and best bidders after due public
notice given approved tishways or lad
ders for the passage of migratory or
anadromous fishes as follows, one in or
upon the Columbia dam in addition to
the one now existing therein, one in or
upon the Clark's ferry dam, one in or
upon the Shamokin dam and one in or
upon not exceeding the three first dams
on the West Branch of the Susquehanna
river above its confluence with the
North Branch and one in or upon such
of the first four dams occurring upon
the Juniata river above its confluence
with the Susquehanna. These works
must be constructed substantially in
the most improved and approved meth
cd to admit of the passage of fish and at
reasonable cost and so as not to injure
the dams for the purposes for which they
are now used.
SEC. reads; The boards of fishery
commissioners may if they consider it
necessary appoint fish wardens or water
bailiffs to be placed in charge of one or
more of the reaches or stretches of the
river Immediately below Oh above the
dams mentioned whose duty it shall be
to be vigilant and to lay information
before the proper officers or tribunals OF
all infractions of the fishery laws and
use all proper means in their power to
bring offenders against the same to pun.
ishment the pay of these officers, each
shall not exceed one hundred dollars in
any one yer.
SEC. 10 prescribes it shall further be
the duty of the fishery commissioners
to select proper location and erect a
State Matching establishment or propa.
eating house for the purpose of propa.
eating useful tribes of food fishes, and
TO stock and supply the streams and
fresh waters of the Commonwealth
with the same by distributing spawn
or fry of the said tribes Of fishes thro'.
out the State under proper regulations
having in view the encouragement OF
fish culture and to employ the necessary
labor to conduct the same.
SEC. IL says, "the sum of sixty thou
sand dollars, 1850, ,0O0),o so much there
of as may be necessary is hereby appro
priated out of any moneys in the State
Treasury not otherwise appropriated
for the purposes specified in this act, Of
which ten thousand $4,000 is eXclu
sively to be applied to the Matching es.
Enlistment in the above section men.
toned and the expenses connected
herewith. and upon the qualified certi.
cate of the board of fishery commits.
sioners as to the services rendered OF
work done from time to time in accord
ance with this act, the Auditor General
shall issue his warrant or warrants in
for
Treasurer, and If there shall be a bal
ance remaining after the provision
in this act contained shall have beer
complied with, the said balance shall bt
expended in the further improvement
OF the fish ways aforesaid where tht
same shall have been authorized by
law.
This bill does not seem to US unob
jectionable, while the object it is design
ed to promote is highly meritorious
In the first place it has the appearance
of ga job.' and, therefore, should have
received the closest scrutiny before lis
passage. An attempt was made in the
House, however, to pass it by its title
without permitting it to be read, ant
even the "gag.law," known as the
precious question, was attempted so as tC
cut off debate and amendments.
The appropriation of $4,000 is large
especially as the whole subject is an ex.
pertinent. Again, the scope of the bill
is entirely local. 1t does not aim Il
renovate the fisheries of the entire State
but only certain portions of the Susque.
hanna. The bill provides for the alter
alton of four dams on the Juniata, and
three on the West Branch, but does not
propose to touch one on the North
Branch, although a larger and more
important stream than both combined
We shall await the result of the ac-
tion proposed by this bill carefully, and
hope 1t may prove success, and that
cheap fish, as in days of old, may be
brought to our doors. No food is more
healthy, and it can be made inexpen-
sive to the masses.