Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1873-01-22

at an expense Of about $1,000. This
was seven years ago and, where Il
tho evidence that tho fish ever got
over the dam, or that the device was
of any practical value for tho purposes
intended 7 In the spring Of 1867 O
icw shad were caught between the
Colum bian and Clark's Ferry dams
but, IL turned out afterwards that o
breach had been mado in the Colum-
ba dam tho preceding winter or spring
by tho high water and leo and the
fact that no fish Of any consequence
have been caught there since, affords
but too good evidence that those
caught in 1867 got up through the
breach, and not through the fshway
or up tho artificial ladder. All efforts,
therefore, to get the shad over this
lower dam have resulted in failure
and all moneys expended for that pur.
pose have been lost. Ii the fish could
not be persuaded to como up over the
fishway or ladder prepared for the
purpose sevcn years ago, whore is
there any evidence on which 10 be-
lieve they would como up II an addi,
tional fishway were now constructed
for them 7 And If they cannot be got
over and above this lower dam, what
can be the use in opening the upper
dams, TO which the fish can. have no
access /? 1t will be time enough to
commence opening tho upper dams
when IL has been satisfactorily dem
onstrated tho fish can bo got above
the lower ones Yetthis bin provides
that tho sixty thousand dollars shall
be applied in equal proportions to the
construction OF fish ways" in these
whole fourteen dams. If this oxpcri-
ment were permitted tho rcsdlt would
probably be, judging from our past
experiences and the best lights we
have, that considerable progress would
be made on all tho dams, and the
whole of the money exhausted before
the work on q single one Of the dams
would bo completed, and the legisla-
ture would then bc called or for ad.
ditional appropriations. And if the
upper dams were all completed as
they possibly could be, witt their
"equal" share of tho money On the
smaller streams, Of what pnctical
valuo or utility would they b., with
the lower dams incomplete, er even
complete and not passable by tao fishl
If deemed advisable to undertake this
work at all, lot it be begun on the
lower dams frst; and let it thereby
be demonstrated if il can be, that the
fish can be got over them. To finish
tho upper dam first, as this bill practi-
cally directs, is commencing At the
wrong end, and certainly involves
very large expenditure of money, with
very doubtful results. 1t is lnwise
and dangerous legislation to confer
powers and privileges TO do wrong,
and thon to assume they will not be
exercised to the damage Of the public
These objections are, to my mind,
so unanswerablo, ii is considered un-
necessary TO cnumerate others.
regret tho necessity which com
pcls mo to reluIn the bill with these
objections. The subject is an import.
ant one, and ! am in cordial sympathy
with the friends of this movement for
tho culture of fish, and tor their ros-
toration to tho waters of the State,
and will heartily approve all properly
guarded legislation for these purposes
Most OF the sections Of this bill are
unobjeciionable. and | especially com
mend that which proposes co-opera-
tions with our sister State New Jer-
sey. But when $4,000 are appropri-
ated from the public treasury for this
or any other purpose, / shall insist
that il shall be done in such form
and under such regulations as will
probably cfIevt tho purposes intended.
JoHN W. GEARY.