The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-12-14
FISHERMEN TALK ALL DAY,
lND NEITHER SIDE CoNVINCEs THE
OTIIIR.

MY or Fi-h Foot - Decrrasinst the Msn-
hnden and Pound snd Purse Net Mes
say u - Mott and Thers Thay Res.
Men who lsh for sport and men who fsh for
alivinR or to be precise. for tho market do
not agr ee upon the question OF the probability
OF the extinction OF FISH food. and one hundred
mon representing both sides met at tho Hotel
Gernch yesterday. Every Atlantic State from
Maine to Maryland sent representatives.
There were mon who represented tho indus
try Of entire towns and hundreds OF thousands
ot dollars invested in fishing neets. and there
wore others equally anxious about tho final
,ction. but directly Interested in 1t only in so
Tar az it might affect their sport at some fish
ing club
Several clashes occurred between represen-
tativos OF the two factions but before the
session ended apologies were offered and re-
ceived and the memory OF the days fight was
lost In dinner given by the New York men
Tor the out-of-town guests.
This convention Is the result OF move
ment by tho amateurs. who claim that the
fisheries from Maine to South Carolina are en-
dnnGered by tho threatened destruction OF
their food supply These anglers are really
directing their attack against the men who
arc Interested in the m enhaden and the purse
or pound not fisheries.
They claim that the menhalen industry,
which has grown rapidly. Is destroying tho
nsh food. anil that tho purse or pound hsneries
are wnntony destroying many OF tho game
Ash. Their interests. they say. are Identical
with those OF the mon who fish for the mar
kets. and whom they accuse OF being short
sighted in their methods.
Asaresut OF this feeling. and with view to
deciding on some legislation that would pre-
vent these alleged evils. the amateur sports
men sent out u circular to all tho Atlantic
States Interested In fisheries calling yester-
days conference
That this circular should bring out such
REPRESENTATIVE assembly OF fishermen as met
at 10 o'clock Mt the Gerlach yesterday morn
Ing was II surprise to the men who sent II out.
A. each man arrived he registered. and when
the meeting was called to order tho menhaden
and net men had as their champions:
D. e church. Rhode Island; syivanus smith. Ms'ss.
ssS. u 4 'ayS ans %s~ As.;
o SSSy o. Ns Rhode SOFf .nd G,ht %"
Name lanes H. church. RHODE island John
ro.is xe Wy YORK LOCKWOOD SSw
~ JSsTsS go. YSs Aa5n New 9Srs
Siism tndsy BTowp rsrn'ylySn,a ~ Ri.rS.
sternfeld New YORK; hdwtn H. kelsey. Connecticut
Among the Fish Commissioners were Col. Nc
Donald OF the United states Fish Commission:
}. n. u sogthwick. Rhode island; George n Bi''.
f%ss" S;% tlSti FsTS:yiss"!.; jonn
S So%nf %a'.asaa.f.i.; + roi;t SoH%:s,ifs,
col John Says fs W,w hHomn,n "h' H.w
s ,,s bsr, b. nsss%:; SsJ
yaf THFs lo %E N.T yo% %tH Robert !.%SS
!SIt 1.n'i sass SSS Gfns
sad rn..yxa"s wilbur r%StslAyn.
snsf rer.y Sa"lsaours r.%s
jane, 4 miller. rennsyivnnla; G. : De re, Psno.y,
. Va 9%iS Sew rort spssr
k:S@t "f & Ss. nee: ya TX f
John 2nssSenb"I New Gor.; Jnaxs menry a. Ms
G Ga. tI r drSF and 81 Msr
The menhalen men started the fight at once.
sn Snow H hse there as is IL
the supply OF our food fish. II it Is due to the
them let u .. lersats against them i gS
to natural causes then there is no help. We,
however deny that there Is diminn n AMI
Cyrus 5. Detre OF Philadelphia was cure that
there had been diminution III our iood lsh
4i Il i due. he said. first. to the mephade9
ard sSe% to The a na
diminution in tho food for the bluehsn l
know Tor have iished he coast for many years
and am not preIudlced but something should
What would you suggest ?" asked a men-
The odd Old method OF drift nets and hand
lines" answered Mr.. Detre.
There Is probably no man who has larger
interests or m"r9 eYperiencs T n menh1hen
His iirm has eighty-one steamers and 800 sail
ing vessels engaged in this business
Church, know and can prove that there Is no
dninntion IN our snpny oi f3oh Sa' ,h ri TSi
and man il not a factor either way in the
periods OF plenty and scarcity, which are con
live, and uropacates in the tidswaters Of our
bays. rivers, and in our seacoast waters
SC 20
that an Intelligent and disintsrested iprsstiEs.
ton hsi npd bs shsy as: NO SSs
Hollands - that all restrictions Interfering
with ishermccn or their apparatus is against
Prcsident l.. D. Huntington OF tho New York
Board OF Fisheries Commlssloners PRESENTED
urging that some remedy for the dlminution
o. the fish supply he applied ht Gnce MI
presented to Congress- when 1t Investigated
The menhaden industry, showing that IL de
stroyed weak AMI 81 ne fish. drove them away
a, WellinG OF Beyport. n; J. said:
rather IhSa 5i@nI'Gsd; There are Y.r now
ffn IN as h s2shu weT s'' taken these
nets '0o00U3 pounds OF ish. This wear year
quantity o. lsh ANNUALLY coming 70 our shore:
shows no signs OF decreasing. TYn-thirds OF |
pSuaa asts Il would TIE T to furnish
our markets In any other way CO., I'll.
ooysi that ' the po"%d
and the msnhadep fisheries were decreaslng
our Ash food supply nnt ne coHin not sngGest
Is not his business.
The Maine fishermen were represented by
Thther Maddox. and he argued that the use |
OF nets had largely decreased the price o. fish,
and therefore they We're u hsnent II the |
Maine ilsheriss were rest rcted lie said. Canada
w"ul take away their business.
Sylyanus Smith q Gloucester. Mass, said |
that thura were 400 vessels from his town en- |
Raged in deep sea fishing. Fish Com missioner |
!. G, Young NJ Massachusetts said that the |
fisheries ~ his State wore national instead |
OF 10 al industry. and without the pound and |
tho weir they would die.
itnssell l;end counsel for the Game and Fish |
Protective society al Massachusetts,. took the |
opposite side ~ the question.
- wish to say, - lie salt that the gentle |
know a the Wish Trust ". Massachusetts. |
They ARE interested I'm fishing as a !
business. | have noticel that in these |
discussions the dealer always turns up |
In opposition to the consideration Of any sun l
iert which shall benefit the protection Of the J
hsh food supply. We have tho most OUT |
Tageous system Of game, laws in tho world. |