Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-06-30
DISTINGUISHED VISITORS.
An International and a Royal Com
mission in Augusta.
The First investigating Fisheries-The Second
The Liquor Traffic.

Augusta has been favored with some
distinguished visitors this week. The in
ternatiOnal fisheries commissioners were
here Wednesday and Thursday and the lat
ter day the royal Canadian commissioners
on the liquor traffic arrived. Both parties
made their headquarters at the Augusta
house.
The international commission was COM
posed of DIR William Wakeham of Ottawa,
prominent official in the Dominion de-
partment of marine and fisheries, on the
part of Great Britain; and Mr.. Richard
Rathbun of Washington, d. c., assistant in
charge of the scientific inquiry of the
United States fish commission on the part
of the United States. DIR. Wakeham is
accompanied by Mr.. X. N. Venning of the
same department.
The commission was appointed in ac-
cordance with convention between Great
Britain and this country by which the
members were to be appointed and to begin
work within three months after December
6, 1892
The commission was appointed to in
vestigate the question of the fisheries in
waters adjoining and contiguous to Canada
and the United States, to study the habits
of the fish frequenting these waters and to
determine if any fishery methods in use are
detrimental to the fish and, furthermore,
to ascertain if the fisheries are being in
jured by any pollutions from factories, etc.
The commissioners will report to the secre-
tary of the United States and the cores
ponding officials in Great Britain for final
consideration.
The work began in March and will be
continued for two years.
Mr.. Rathbun, who kindly granted a
. Journal reporter an interview, said
b 1--WE have just made a beginning and so
far have been engaged in studying the diff
ferent phases of the mackerel fisheries, and
have given particular study to the subject
of maekerel spawning, which, singularly
enough, has never been previously investi-
gated. We began our field work at New
York and have worked up the coast. We
have just come from Portland and are on
our way to Bangor and Eastport, Maine,
and Pictou, N. s., where we will spend two
weeks studying the waters Of the St. Law
renee bay.
1--WE will subsequently take up the st.
Croix and St. John rivers between Maine
and New Brunswick
"We are here to see what information
might be furnished by the State in regard
to the rivers and in order to get maps, gen.
eral and special State laws in regard to
fisheries and game and pollution of fish
waters. One thing struck us as somew hat
curious the most important laws for the
protection of fish, such as forbidding the
deposit of sawdust, etc., in the Maine
rivers, were passed without reference to the
fishery question but at the solicitation of
the navigators and icemen.
"After completing our work in the region
of Maine We will go to the Great Lakes.
Our aim is to visit each section at the
proper season.
Besides our personal observations we
question the fishermen to obtain such facts
as they may have observed in their practical
experience. To aid us in our scientific in
vestigations the United States ish commits
SIGN schooner Grsmpus and the steamer
Fish Hawk and several field parties in this
country have been detailed and later SINH
lar arrangements on the part of the Canadian
government will be made.
Understand, though, our own personal
observations and field work will form but
small part Of the work done. We will
examine an immense amount of documen-
tary evidence as well. We will make as
complete an investigation as is possible in
the time. We are expected. however, to
do what should take 20 years in but two"
The commissioners left on the noon train
on their way to Bangor. Previous to their
departure they called on Ex-Governor
Burleigh at the JOURNAL office.