The Portland daily press., 1892-02-18


WASHINGTON, February IA large
number of interested persons were pres
ent at the meeting today of the House
committee on fisheries, which is consld-
ering the bill to allow the menhaden and
mackerel fisheries to be pursued within
marine jurisdiction Of the United States,
regardless of state laws to the contrary.
The menhaden fishing interest was most
largely represented. Among the persons
appearing in it's behalf were D. Mason of
Brown Pond, Me-, and o. D. Whitten of
Portland. Me. The menhaden fishers
opened with an argument in favor of the
bill by William F. Brown of Philadel-
phia, who is largely interested in the
menhaden fisheries. He declared the
laws passed by Maine, Massachusetts
and New York operated to destroy the
| most important menhaden fishing inter
ests of the country. The coming and
going of menhaden, he said, was beyond
| the knowledge of any man. Yet the
state legislatures sought to paralyze an
| industry which did not interfere with, OF
| injure, other fisheries. The United
| States had acquired from Great Britain,
under the treaty of Washington, the
right to take fishin Canadian waters, yet
| the citizens of certain states of the
United States were seeking to deny a
| similar right to citizens of other states.
From his own bitter experience he could
Tell How Maine Fish Wardens
had arrested his captains, seized his yes
sells and taken his nets. His property in
Maine, today, was almost valueless.
There was the great Casco bay full OF
fish last year with gates locked. Fish to
the value Of $175,OO0 was lost and not
one soul profited by the law. The pas
sage of the pending bill would guarantee
| fishermen against the destruction OF
| their property. All he asked was that
this great industry should be placed
under the care of a commission created
| by the national government.
| Mr.. Brown showed that the menhaden
fisheries are of vast benefit to farmers as
/ they are able to furnish a superior ter
| tilizer at a cost less than half OF the cost
4 of Peruvian guano. Enough fish manure
was made last year to produce 2,400, O00
bales of cotton or 100000 bushels of
/. wheat This great industry was paralyz-
/ ed and could not again be conducted if
| fishermen were to be attacked by state
authorities as heretofore. The menhad-
en- industry had been of great value to
leather makers as the fish oil used by
tanners had reduced the cost of leather
Fish oil was also used by coal miners for
/ lamps and to enhance its cost would be
To Punish the Poor Miner
who was obliged to buy his own oil Mr..
Brown denied absolutely that the men
haden industry injured the food fisheries
and quoted the findings of Professors
Baird and Goode that man could do moth
ing to increase or decrease materially the
fish in the ocean. He declared that the
menhaden fishers did not take enough
food to supply the tables on the vessels.
He did not believe 25 barrels OF blue fish
and sea trout had been taken in purse
nets since they were first used in 1852.
He had IS affidavits to that effect from
/ practical fishermen.
Mr. Brown also denied that local fish
ermen for the markets objected to the
operations of menhaden fishermen, but
Representative Milliken of Maine, who
was present, contradicted this and as
serted that he had letters from points
along the whole Maine coast protesting
against the passage of the BILL. He
had seen 13 steamers at one time before
his house fishing for menhaden, taking
800 barrels of fish in one haul. Surely
that must diminish the fish supply. AS
to expert testimony, he would rather
have that of practical fishermen on the
coast than that of theorists.