The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1874-01-15


kind of investments to be made. 1t may
also be advisable to compel companies al
ready organized to have, within reason
able time, the entire amount OF their
nominal capital actually paid in and IN
vested 10 geed securities. Fire insur
ance, excepting that conducted within
limited sphere upon the purely mutual
plan, requires capital, and this capital
should be actual aud not in the lllusory
form OF stock notes Taking into consid
GRAFTON the enormous sums paid annually
by the citizens Of this State i'll the shape
of premiums to insurance sompapies they
have a right to demand the largest mea
sure of protection against recklessness
and fraud
FISH COMMISSION.
The operatious of the Fish Commits.
sioDers have excited lively interest
among our people, on account Of the nov
elity of the enterprise and the benefits to
arise from the successful prosecution OF
their labors.
Fish culture, it is now conceded, has
passed beyond the realms of experiment
and its success in the future is only to be
measured by the wants of our people and
the capacity of the streams, rivers and
lakes of the country.
Pennsylvania is siDgularly blessed in
the superior advantages she possesses for
the cultivation of fish Abouuding in
waters admirably adapted to their needs.
in the insect and other food they supply
there is no reasonable obstacle to stock
ing our rivers and streams with innumer
able aud delicious fish of various and even
rare kinds
The work assigned to the commission
has hesn diligently pursued and promises
substantial results. Awaiting themselves
of the use of Mr. Seth Greens patent, the
Com missioners succeeded in Matching, at
Newport, Perry county, where the water
is peculiarly fitted for the purpose, about
2700,0 900 shad, which were turned into
the Juniata river at that point. Two
thousand six hundred black bass were al
so distributed in the Susquehanna, lie
high nd Juniata rivers during the months
of July and August last, and through the
kindness of Prof Spencer L. Baird. Uni
ted States Fish Commissioner, 2I,000
California salmon have been planted in
the SusquehanDa and It's tributaries. The
bass are not migratory fish and are very
prolific Two or three hundred were
placed in the Susquehanna, near Harris
burg, in 1870, and the rapidity with
which they aultiply is manifest in the
great numbers of this beautiful and choice
fish that now are found in the rivers in
that vicinity.
The law of 1873 authorizing the Fish
Com mission, directed that four fsh ways
should be constructed at different dams
on the Susquehauna and Juniata rivers.
so as to enable shad, Oh their spring in
cursions from the sea, to make the ascent
Of these streams. The questions whe
ther shad will ascend an artificial way is
still, however, mooted one, and encoun
tering this doubt, the com mission, in the
exercise OF what will be deemed sound
dissection, concluded to erect but one fish
way, and that at the Colum bia dam This
way is l20 feet long by 60 feet wide, i,
very graudual in the incline, and made
as nearly conformable as possible to na
tural ways over which .had do undoubted
ly pass, and will afford practical test OF
this experiment. If in the spring it is
found shad do pass up this FISH way, the
others required by law will be construc-
ted without delay.
The Matching house erected by the
Commissioners, near Marietta, aud sup.
piled with water from an inexhaustible
spring, is said by those familiar with the
subject to be complete in its arrangements
and furnished with all the necessary ap
pliances for the propagation of fish. The
capacity of the house is equal to the pro
per care of 100000 young fish, and is
susceptible of enlargement, if required
The Fish Commissioners of New Jersey
recently had a conference with those Of
Pennsylvania, with view to obtain from
their respective States such concurrent
legislation as will best promote the shad
and other fisheries in the Delaware river,
and to so harmonic the laws of the two
States as to prevents conflict of authority
Any suggestions resulting from this con
ference, and submitted for your action,
will, trust, be respectfully considered
BUREAU OF STATISTICS.
The report of the Com mmissioner Of La
Dor and Statistics for the current year.
embracing many instructive details, will
be read with interest The organization
of this Bureau within very limited
period has, of course, precluded it from
making any extensive Investigations, but
enough has been done to demonstrate the
necessity for such department and the
service it can render the people enlarg-
ing continuously the knowledge of our
resources, trade, internal improvements,
aud the various processes Of education
and enlightenment in our midst
This bureau was created with the
special object of investigating the rela
tions of labor and capital, to discover the
cause of the frequent contests between EN-
ployers and employed to determine what
share labor has in the progress and pros
perity of the State; to examine with a