Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-06-13

When 1t Was Created and the Cause
of Its Establishment.

| "Een was created ana the Cause
of Its Establishment.
| ITS SMALL BEGINNING AND THE PRESENT NAG
| SITUDE OF ITS wORK-wHERE THE VARIOUS
| MATCHING STATIONS ARE LoCATED-PRACTI-
| CAL RESULTS OBTAINED BY IT'S INvEsTIGA-
| TONS AND EXPERIMENTS.
| Few people appreciate the importance of the
| labors OF the Fish commission. Though its
| headquarters are in this city, and its principal
| batching and propagating stations are located
| here, the interest taken by the general public
! in this work is comparatively small. The
| results accomplished, however, by the Fish
commission in the scientific investigation of
| the habits and modes of life OF various species
of the finny tribe and in their relations to each
other, and in increasing and cheapening the
! food supply of the country, have been of great
| value.
ORIGIN OF THE FISH COMMISSION.
| The United States Fish Commission was
| created by joint resolution of Congress, APP
| proved February 8, 1871. and it's immediate
/ cause was a difference of opinion between Mas
| sachusetts and Rhode Island as to the extent
of the destructive effects of the trap and pound
fisheries Of southern New England, and the
| proper function of legislation in their reguia-
| tioD. Massachusetts had established a state
| fish commission in 1865, and her example had
/ been followed by other states, SO that expert
nentS in fish culture mad progressed under the
| fostering care OF state governments for several
| years prior 10 the establishment of the govern
| ment commission. This United States COM
! mission was authorized to prosecute investiga-
lions and inquiries "with the view of ascertain
| ing whether any and what dminution in the
! number OF the food-fshes of the coast and the
| lakes of the United States has taken place; and
/ ii so. 10 what causes the same is due: and also
/ whether and what protective, prohibitory, or
! precau tionary measures should be adopted in
/ the premises; and to report upon the same to
! Congress"
The commission was to consist of one men,
| % he
| firIned by the Senate. from among the civil
! officers or employees of the government, OF APP
| proved scientific and practical acquaintance
! with the fishes of the coast who should serve
| without additional salary. The amount ap-
pTopriated to prosecute these inquiries was
$500. 1t IS evident from the paucity Of the
| appropriation that the legislative solOns who
| created the commission had no idea of the
probable growth of its labOrs the extent of its
/ research or the benefceI.t results that would be
obtained under its direction.
PROF. SPENCER F. BAIRD
| at that time assistant secretary of the Smith
| sonian institution, was appointed fish commits
| sioner, and he entered upon his new duties with
! characteristic ardor and energy, and by his ex-
| eellent executive capacity soon had a corps Of
| trained specialists engaged in intelligent and
/ systematic investigation. In the summer of
1871 Prof. Baird established a station at Woods
/ hoii, Mass with a party of biologists and per-
| Sonally investigated the alleged decrease of the
! fisheries IN southern New England, while assiS-
! tantS were pursuing similar work at Cape Hat
y
Investigation of this first season were valu-
able that Congress next year increased the ap-
| Precipitation for the commission to S3O, 500, and
rs the inquiries and laborS of the commission
increased and the work of propagation was
added. larger appropriations were granted each
year until the total amount expended up TO this
time will reach nearly a million and q half of
dollars.
HOW THE WORK IS DIVIDED.
In order TO show the extensive range of In
quiry it is only necessary to state the present
ii y-iSiOD oft
| L. The systematic investigation of the waters
OF the United States, and the biological and
physical problems which they present.
?. Investigation of the methods of fisheries,
past and present and the statistics of produc-
ton and commerce of fishery products.
3. The introduction and multiplication of
useful food fishes throughout the country, es-
pecially in waters under the Jurisdiction Of the
genera! government, those common to sew
erfal states none OF which would undertake TO
make expenditures for the benefit of their
neighbors.
These separate branches of the work have
been pursued carefully and diligently by spe-
ciaiists all under the intelligent direction of
Prof Baird and the extent of Information
gained in every department has more than
compensated for tine outlay incurred The life,
Character and habits %! various species OF fish
have become Iuiy known, ana we now can tell
their friends ana enemies, what they best like
and what best agrees with them.
The fishery industry OF the United States, &C
cordln" To the last census. gives EN- piOyment to
13l i26 persons. and in ii the capital invested
4 ~ IL
poyed the southern states furnish about forty
per cent while of the capital invested over fifty
per cent comes from the New England states.
| THE VARIOUS PROPAGATISG STATIONS
While tine scientific investigation has been
pursued diligently, the work of propagation
| has greatly grown, and many varieties of fish,
which were gradually decreasing in number
| have been made plenty, while they have been ac-
climated in rivers which they had never before
seen, and thus the food supply of the country
has been greatly increased.
The central station of the commission is right
here in Washington, in the old Armory build
ing, which is the largest shad Matching Station
in the country. fun description OF the hatch
ing process, together with the improved appli-
ances used TO facilitate the work, was given in
THE STAR a short time ago. This station is un-
der the immediate direction of Col. Marshall
Mcdonald. chief of the division of propagation
10 whose enthusiasm in the work of fish cul-
ture, and to whose inventive genius and practi-
cal ability as we'll as his scientific research the
success OF the work OF propagation and distri-
button accomplished by the commission is
Besides the station in this city and the per-
lnanent summer headquarters at Woods Holl,
Mass, the following Matching stations have
been established, where Investigation and ex-
pertinent are constantly in progress, reports OF
the results being regularly sent To the commits
Sion in this city: Grand Lake Stream Nc,
where the eggs OF the SchOOdie salmon are col
lected: RUcksport, Ne, for collecting and
Matching eggs of the Atlantic salmon and white
fish: Cold Spring harbor, Long Island, " " for
collecting aud Matching various species of the
salmon. COZ ana ether sea fishes, HaVre-le-
Grace, Md, collecting and Matching Shad eggs:
Wytheville. Va, for matching eggs OF the brook
and California trout; s.. JerOHe's creek, Point
Lookout. Md, for the artificial propagation of
the oy Ster, the spanish mack cre and the banded
pOrSy: iVOca, y. c.. for collecting and Matching
The eggs OF the Shad, aiewifc and striped bass:
Worthwhile. MicIi., for the development and dis.
tribution of the eggs of the whtefish for which
purpose, also. there is another station at Alpcna
In the same state. At Worthwhile, however the
station l. provided with tanks and ponds for
the spawning. matching and rearing of brook
trout and the California trout. West of the
Rocky mountains there are but two stations
one at Baird, Cal, which is located on the
McCloud river. for the development and distri-
button OF the California salmon and which also
has trout ponds for collecting. deVeOpn" and
distributing eggs OF the California trout. and
one ON the Columbia river, for the propagation
OF the California salmon.
THE DISTRIBUTION THIS YEAR
~ can't give you the exact figures" said
Col. Mcdonald to q STAR reporter, "but during
this year we have developed and distributed
about $50 100000 white fish, about g. 900 900
salmon; say % 900, 900 shad, large mum Der of
brook trout and California trout, and have sent
carp TO over 1000 applicants. embracing every
state and territory in the country and nearly
every congressional district. consider the most
important work Oi the year 10 be the attempt 10
stock the Columbia river. and the system of
streams en1ptyin% into Puget Sound, with shad
Car NO.2, O the comm iSsiun is en- route tor
Portland, Oregon with 800, 900 shad for that
purpose. We are also endeaVoriBg To stock the
tributaries of the Gulf of California with the
same !.Sil. and car No. has taken out 900 900
young shid TO be placed in.the Republican and
Colorado rivers"
IMPROVED APPLIANCES FOR THE WORK