The morning times., 1895-08-25
Fish Commission Affairs Are in
a Chaotic Condition.
MR.. MeDONALD'S ILL HEALTH
1t Is Expected He VIII Retire, and
the Clerks Are Making Themselves
Solid In Case of an Upheaval-Of-
flee Honey ycombed With Rivalries.
Ways of Influencing Congress man.

| the Fish Commissioner in his relations to the
government VIII probably be made by the
approaching scsTion OF Congress- Hon.
Marshall Macdonald, who has for eight
years been at the head of the commission
and who is regarded as one of the leading
authorities in the world upon the subject of
fish culture, has been i'll ill-health for
| some time and viii probably retire
Whether Congress viii place the work in
charge of the Department of Agriculture or
reorganize it ard put it upon more
generous appropriation is an open GueF ton.
1t is certain that complete revolution in
its operations and its work viii be made.
For one thing, much more attention VIII be
given TO the propagation and protection
of the species of fish that furnifh living
to thousands of the common people on the
Atlantic and Gulf coasts, around the Coz
luumbia river in the Northwest, ara on the
great fishing fleet that makes its head
quarters at San Fran cisco; much Iess Will
be spent uron the cultivation OF gold fish,
trout and salmon, for the pleasure lakes and
| fishing streams of the wealthy and in
rluential
HONEGCOMbED WITH RIYALRIES
IN view OF this probable change the com
mission is now in a somewhat chaotic
condition. 1t is honcycombed wit hrivalries
Men who have long been in the service are
striving ana planning TO make themselves
secure in the upheaval ana not a few of them
are fighting ambitiously to better their
condition.
There is an effort being made to direct
the appointment OF Mr. McDonald's sue
cessor, and TO accomplish this through
him. The plan is to have him withhold
his resignation till the President has been
brought TO the point of naming the sue
cessor that is desired Two menare slated
for the place, either OF whom viii be
satisfactory to these managers One is
now in the National Museum; the other
is a citizen OF New York
Under these conditions the work OF the
commission has been greatly crippled
The aninosiucs engendered have inter
fered with the execution OF plans, and The
uncertainty of what lies in the future ha :
prevented the preparation OF general
outline for work, such as would be OF the
highest public benefit
CLERK WROTE THE REPORT
Since the investigation OF the commits.
sion five years ago, when Mr.. Macdonald
had his clerk write the report of the com
mittee, the superintendent has left much
OF his work to other officials.
AS a result there has been little oppor-
tunity for independent progressive action
in the line OF developing the commercial
millions of persons depend for a livelihood
Itbecame known in the commission year
ago that Mr.. Macdonald would probably re-
tire, and as consequence contentious
arose which made it difficult TO obtain
appropriations for salaries, etc.
To pull through the amounts finally OBJ
tanned it was necessary to keep influential
congressman in gond humor, and even then
several OF the field agents were called in to
do office work last March.
Three OF the congressman whose good win
was much desired were Senators Cock
rell and Hale and Representativ Savers,
chairman Of the House apprOpria tiOns COM
mittee. Though such q thing was futile,
three hatcheries were planned and located
inland in the States from which these gen
tlemen came.
WAYS OF INFLUENCING THEM.
Missouri has no commercial fisheries at
all, yet a station in that state, it was
believed would please Senator Cockrell and
it was located there For a similar reason
stations were built in Texas and Maine
The latter i S devoted principally to the
propagation of nd-Iocked salmon, a
splendid specimen for anglers. 1t is at
Green Lake A few days ago President
Cleveland received a pressing invitation to
visit that region for fishing trip
He did not go, but some of his intimate
friends were there. They met with poor
success, and il is said the result was dis,
appointment to those who planned the invi-
tation. 1t was hoped President Cleveland
might be reached at the time with a sugges-
ton as to Mr.. MacdonaId's successor
While all this is going on, the legitimate
work of the commission is impaired
Mr.. Macdonaldisinth the Adirondacks forthe
| summer. The latest word from him is that
| his health is improved.
The report OF the Stockbridge committee
which was made in 1891, says that after
an examination carefully made in view OF
| the importance OF the work, the committee
| found no just cause to criticise the policy
OF the commission nor the course of the
commissioner in his system or method o.
| administration.
WORK WAS COMMENDED.
On the contrary the work OF the commits
| sion was commended. The report was
| signed by Senators Stockbrdge, Squire ans
Blodgett. The charges upon which the in
vestigatioD was made included nepotisn
in the appointment of three of Mr.. Mac
doDald's nephews to important positions,
fDcapacity and mismanag ement.
In the face of the report in 1891, Senator
Stockbridge in May, 1892, offered a report
and introduced bill to put the commission
under the control of the Secretary of Agri-
culture. In the report it was urged that
| the efficiency of the bureau must not be
sacrificed to mere convenience Of admins
| tration.
1t was pointed out that the Fish Commits
sion must go further than the experimental
stations for agriculture and horticulture.
F! 1t must become the actual cultivator of the
waters as farmer is of the land for the
reason that individual ownership of the
| open waters is neither eXpedient nor prac-
| ticable."
1t is pointed out that the organization
| of the Department of Agriculture was
for the purpose Of ''the assemblage and
coordination under one administrative
head OF all those bureaus which are con-
cerned in the utilization of the wealth
of our forests, our fields, our mines, and
our waters"
The time for carrying out this purpose
with reference to the Fish Commission
was then considered opportune; the change
seems now inevitable If Commissioner Mac
donald is to retire.