Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1885-02-21

ence of the Fish Commission the killing
enc. capturing Of fish with spears, gigs
pl+chfOrks, harpOOns, or any other muir
ceTOus device, except hook and line,
shall be entirely prohibited.
g. j recommend that the close season
tcE fishing with nets and seines of any
description be extended so as to include
Ftne' months of July and August.
3. ] recommend the attaching Of such
strong penalties to violations of this act
as viii effectualy put a stop to them.
6. I would recommend that the aDprO-
pTiation for the use of the Commissioner
be increased to such amount as viii en-
able him to devote his whole time TO the
duties of mis- Office.
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
Soon after my appointment as Com
missioner of Fisheries, simultaneously
from all the streams of the State COM
plants were made to me that owners Of
dams had not complied with the prOFis-
ions of the fish law, IN that they had not
erected hshWays. They were Of such
character that 4 deemed it proper to
make a personal examination of the
dams, and order such fshways built
thereat as in my opinion would allow the
passage of fish, and yet be so inexpensive
as not to be oppressive upon the owners.
After careful study adopted the old plan
ifcatiOns as deemed necessary to enable
all fish of migratory habits to pass the
obstruction. In al. cases the owners of
dams have listened to my suggestions,
treated me kindly, accepted the situa-
ton, and promised to- erect the hshWRy
within a reasonable time. This plan for
a fishWay has answered all purposes for
years in the Eastern States on streams
where the dams are of equal height, as
] = rnr streams
and admits of the passage Of migratory
fish of all varieties. A view Of this fish
way viii be found in the appendix to
this report.
NATIVE FISH.
The work Of the past two years has, so
far as the streams and lakes Of the State
are concerned, been devoted entirely TO
the planting of such varieties Of fish as
were as near native to our waters as
were Obtainable.
The conditions necessary to success IN
stocking any stream or body Of water
are, quantity or volume, stability, tenn
perature, adaptability, ana a sufficient
supply Of food. These conditions being
carefully observed, a selection of vsri-
cites can easily be made that will insure
success. To this end chose
for our waters the following
varieties: Pike, wall eyed pike, black
and striped bass, channel and blue cat
/ fish, yellow, ringed, and white perch,
and crappie. These varieties are all fine
! food fish, and, with the exception of the
CTappie, "gamey" enough to please the
most fastidiOus angler.
With proper prOtecuOn-Should the
! work of this Commission be continued,
and the labor of the Commission be well
directed-all the waters of this State
will soon abound with fine, desirable
food fish. No argument is necessary
to show the benefit and lux
ury our whole people will derive
from the work of this Commission. The
stocking Ofthe waters of the State should
be continually repeated. Fish planting,
propagation and distribution is compare
lively new enterprise; 1t Is matter Of
growth, and no enterprise IN which the
people of this State are interested is of
more importance to them than is this.
So important has this question of rehab-
ilitating the waters of the whole country
with desirable food fish become, that
thirty-eight Of the States and Territories
Have enacted laws for the planting,
protection and preservation of fish
created fish commissions, and appointed
commissioners Of fisheries, and each Of
them makes sufficient appropriation to
make the work effective and insure sue
cess. The United States Fish Commits
sion. with It's annual appropriation Of
5000, 900, under the efficient management
of Commissioner Hon. S. F. Baird, has
attained q success unequaled in fish cul-
ture and fish propagation by any com
mission on the globe.
Kansas has more miles Of streams bah
table for fab than any State in the
Union. The interest in the work of re-
facilitating these streams is daily in
creasing, and when it becomes well I'M
derstood that the Commissioner is dis
charging his duty, violations of the fish
law viii cease; the people viii sustain
him in his work, and our waters will
abound with fish that will not only
please the taste of the epicure, but be-
come an article Of necessity and luxury
to all Of our people.