New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-12-14
THE SUPPLY OF FOOD FISH.
A DISCUSSION AS TO WHETHER 1T IS DIMIN-
ISHING.

MANY GAME COMMISSIONERS TEsTIFY-oLD SALTS
TELL ABOUT THE CATCH OF MENHADEN AND
DECLARE THAT NEw-FANGLED IMPLE
MENTs ARE NOT DESTROYING THE
F1NNY CREATURES TOO FAST
,r,o cal, ,ssned by the New-York Fish Commission
!. all nersons interested In the demand and supply
=, FISH in the States along the Atlantic Coast, and
particularly TO those interested In the preservation
~ food fish. was responded TO yesterday by a
Gathering which crowded two pariors OF me Ter
,och IN West Twenty-seventh-str and which rep
ororted the Fish Commissions. the fishing indus
.,es and the game protection societies Of all the
seaboard States from Maine TO North Carolina
The urinary object of the conference was the
dfscussion of the supply and demand OF food fish.
Tho call was the outcome of Il belief entertained
bv some of the Fish Commissioners Of this State
rd nv members of the Association for the Pro-
,scon of Game that food fish were growing more
ond more scarce and that this was due to the in
creasng industry of menhaden fisfing and the use
~ the pound nets To determine whether the sup
I, ~ food fish was really diminishing and, if so, to
detect the and suggest a remedy, the confer
once set TO work at half-past 10 o'clock taking
testimony.
REPRESENTATIVES, WHO WE'RE THERE.
william H. Bowman. Of Rocn ,ster. a member Of
The state Fish Commission. chosen chairman.
commission, secretary. Other Commissioners pres
ent were i. d. Huntington. David G. Hackney,
Robert Hamilton and A. Sylvester Joline, of the
New-York Commission; j. NJ II. Southwick and
George \. Bliss. of Rhode Island; p. W. Page and
Robert ID. Foohe, of New-Jersey; H. c. Ford and
Colonel John Gay, of Pennsylvania; John s. Sudler.
of Mary land: r. a. Bracket and J. c. Young. of
Massachusetts; Marshal Mcdonald, of North Caro-
E TepresSntsd by James Edge and spcer Lean
q. wbar. a. ~ spangler Dr. 3 " James l.
S@ wam H Ms c. Of + Ps5Ts "
F. @ whitaker EdTard Thompson nd Or 6ashi sd
Robert +. WALSH of New-York. and c. f. Chamber
The renhaden fisheries and fish dealers were
represented by the majority of those present
among whom were John o. LeTs Wa 5amf sbo a.
Island; Sylvester Smith: s. NJ Johnson. b:
b De H ps 3Syfe BanF cseS
Ila!ey, John T. Hongard. a. E. Potter; c.
Reeves 4 Aas and fd%aTd sSernfed NewYoTE wal
ling. y. Lockwood, New-Jersey Ge3i NJ; Vail
Maine William f. Brown. Pennsylvania. ana
Robert T. Chalker: Edwin +; Kelsey and Joseph
many "old fishermen" well known in the waters
where they have cast their nets e snce tney
formed the most interesting and the most valuable
ReP Sf ess saeh pond Chef
and Fish Protector of New-9ork; Ike Smitn, a
Worlds Fair Commissioner of the Japanese FISH
cries Society.
TAKING THE TESTIMONY.
Chairman Bowman said that IL had been mains
tanned that the catch of sea fish absolutely couid
not be controlled or even noticeaby affected, by
the use Of fishing implements. Whether this was so
or not the chairman hoped would be shown by the
testimony and statistics Of those present IL was
of the most vital importance that food fish should
be so protected that the supply OF them wouid
not diminish and their prices not Increase
Then began the giving Of testimony. some eoO OF
Old hat
ference argued a condition of affairs that was hpt
truea dmlnution In the supply v o h oon more S
plentiful generally speaking tsh i IKE s UleF n
Of game had seasons oil h yneios Of unusual
abundance. or this point the conference dlvs s
pound nets and artificial Instruments for catching
fsh asserting that the supply OF 1000 hsn nap .ol
and the game and fish protection men, me roo roo
and line men and many OF the tyn of menhaden
sacrifced qpantities Of food u, tho Nenbaden OIL
ara Guano Associa9n was one Of ne ssS ,bat
food fish rarely taken in the menhaden nets
and that when they We're and taKen rb any SeSrv was
ma n;aned by all the representatHes OF he men
haden industry from Maine TO MorT var ihe paper
OF L. D. Huntineton president OF me , STR
mony given before commission OF Congress on men
haden fisheries showing that tremendous cachts Oh
ermen and citing a catch made by Mr. Churcns
own boats in instance. MI HUNTINGTON U.s.
nv giving the opinion that the fish supply OF the
Atlantic Coast was beyond doubt being decreased
by the menhaden fisheries
NOBODY STANDS ON MIDDLE GROUND.
Al . O'clock after a recess. the conference re-
eumed its work The chairman started the plan OF
calling for testimony by States. beginning with
Maine Among those who spoke were c. NJ. H.
Southwick Fish Commissioner Of Rhode Island;
George NJ. Vail. Orient l.. l.: Charles f. Chamber
layne Bourne. Mass: Henry c. Ford. Philadelphia
. president Of the Pennsylvania Fish Commission;
Z a NJ Spangler. president Of the Protective ASso.
of the Massachusetts Fish Commission; Henry A.
Reeves State I.unacy Commissioner Of New ork;
Robert +. Walsh of NewYork: Albert T. cochran
of New-York; Robert Is. Roosevelt. OF New OF n
president the Society for the Protection OF tlsh
and Game and others. Without AN exception those
who testified the diminutlon Of the ilsh supply
were the game protectionists and Fish COnfnls-
soners; those who believed the supply as great
as ever were the menhaden men, There were no
Russell Reed the counsel for the Massachusetts
Game Protective Association, made the signilcant
remark the fish dealers were always opposed
to any consideration whatever of the subject OF
suppy of food fish IT meant that they We're salts
fed. whatever else 1t might mean. He said thai
Massachusetts had the most outrageous cooe Oh
laws to be round, ana IL was que entlrey
Judge McGown and Robert p. Roosevelt spoke
catching OF food fish by the menhaden fishermen
The session then adjourned TO meet this morning
at 10 O'Clock. .
over the sparkling glasses the disputes and con-
troversies Of the day were forgotten and the real
FISH stories of the freside told. The tables were
snread In the back parlors of the Gerlach and an
elaborate dinner was served The out-of-town
fishermen were the guests OF the New-York Com
mission.
VOTING WOMEN ENJOY VIEWS OF THE FArf