The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-08-23
County and City Official Press.
Thursday. August 90, 1877.
FAILURE OF THE COLUMBIA
FISHERIES.

The Portland Board fTrade in their
animal report recommend act ION a. fol-
lows, concerning the rapid exhaustion Of
the salmon run III the Columbia river
1T took three or four years before Onr
merchants could successfully INTRODUCE
canned salmon into the various markets
Of the world aud remove the prejudice
which formerly existed 10 IT, and now
that that they have not Only success
fully accomplished all this but made
it Il universal article of diet in great
demand over the CIVILIZED world
which is yearly increasing winch.
like our wheat. hereafter, will fiud a
ready market, it is painful to observe
that with all our modern appliances and
more earnest competing search each
year for fish. our salmon production
IS already falling off, and unless
active measures are taken VIII
gradually be on the decline each
year. What renders this valuable GA
port of more advantage TO Oregon than
anything else is the fact that while all
other countries compete with Us III rais-
ing wheat, wool and other products, no
other country or state in the world has
competed or can possibly compete with
us in producing canned salmon ia large
quantities, SO that acticaily, with
careful protection and development OF
our salmon interests. we can as Sta:e
have monopoly over the world in con-
trolling the prices OF articles OF diet
which is everywhere in daily consnmp-
ton. and which ought and can yield
to Oregon ten or twenty years hence an
immense revenue, cnriching our citizens
and increasing the States wealth and
prosperity. We feel that to insure its
eventual success legislative measures
must at once be adopted, and those en-
gagged in the enterprise must take
more active interest in It's development
than they have hitherto done. We
maintain that it is the duty of the State
of Oregon and the Territory of
Washington. within whose boundaries
this enterprise is carried on, Legislative
Iy To foster and regulate this interest;
failing which. that Congress should in
our opinion, pass a law taxing each
case of salmon exported from Oregon
and Washington Territory with a small
fixed duty. The revenue so obtained to
be specially applied each year III prop
agating and annually developing the
salmon industries of Ore gon aud Wash
ington Territory This. however, is not
ALL II is well known that the mode by
which salmon are now eau hit on the
Columbia river il simply IA Wholesale
destruction Of the fish very few cscap-
ing Last year u deputa,ion from this
board waited on TIA State legislature
with o salmon protection bill, recon
mendiug its passage. Owing 10 a d.
versity of opinion ~ to the Necessity #
such legislation one or tw" menb"rs
actually insisting that Columbia river
salmon were mex baustible and could he
secured in any required quantity every
year, the bill failed To pass Our sal
mon protection committee have, how
ever, taken this matter in hand. and in
conjunction with our secretary, Will
procead to Olympus next month To ask
the necessary legislation from Washing
ton Territory. to take effect only on a
similar law passing next year in Oregon.
We trust that the people. who are
equally interested in this matter, will,
along with those engaged in the fishe-
ries. unite unanimously upon petition
to congress urging the passage OF Sens-
tor Mitchel's bill with such amend
ments and additions rs those interested
in the fisheries may suggest and deem
necessary. There is no subject of deep.
or importance. 10 the vital interests of
Oregon as a state than this salmon pro-
lection matter, or one requiring such
immediate action on the part of her
citizens; those who take deep interest
in the welfare Of our state should give us
their united support -Four years hence
it wilt be too late to adopt Legislative
measures.